Coliseum Showdown

"Who says there was a we!" The girl harshly rebuked Jacob in a shrill, mistrusting tone.

"Well, I am sure you don't want to stay out here, seeing as you are defenseless, and I can assure you that I wont be staying out here. Also, that would is probably heading towards us as we speak, and the only thing we have to put in-between us and that beast is this door." I said in a calm and collected.

She must have taken in in the wrong way because immediately after I said she was defenseless, she blushed and promptly stood up, slapped, me, opened the door, and walked through.

'Did she really? I just saved her! I cant believe that unthankful brat! And to think that I was actually trying to help her!' I thought in a huff as I to stood up and stepped through the door. As I stepped through I felt a spasm rock my body as the chains that I forgot were in me released, flooding my body with the mana that was contained in my use-to-be core.

Because I didn't have a core, there was no where for it to be stored, so instead it traveled through my body like a torrent, opening my meridians one by one in a painful form of torture, before it hit my heart, where the crystal seemed to attract it and gather it.

Slowly, all the mana that was once in my core trickled into the blue crystal, before being released back through my mana channels in its purest form. This continued as I felt shivers of pain, then being rocked by pain, as my mana was circulated through my body, widening and enhancing my meridians.

Coming back to myself what felt like a day, I realized that I was laying in the girls lap, with her looking down at me in concern.

"Are you ok? you just collapsed upon crossing through the warded door"

"Yeah; I'm fine, I think." Focusing on where my core was, I could not since anything out of the ordinary. This was concerning as I truly could not sense anything at all, all of my newfound mana was gone. Focusing on the next thing that came to mind, me heart, I felt a surge of relief as there was a nexus of rotating strands of mana circulating around a new core that was formed over my heart.

Looking closer I saw that there was a significantly less amount of mana, but I could feel that the mana that I was left with was 10x stronger that what I use to have, making my old mana feel like watered down milk.

"I'm Jason by the way. I notices you decided to slap me, before introductions" I said to her with a grin.

"I, I'm Drunia Runesworth, of the Runesworth bloodline" She said, blushing and looking slightly ashamed.

"I'm sorry I slapped you, but I didn't know what else to do. I thought I was dead, when you came out of the blue, slaughtered two OGRES, picked me up, and started to run away with me in your hands. Then you said I was defenseless, which made me feel threatened." She said meekly.

'Is this girl serious? My gosh, what kind of name is that? and look that reason reeks of excuses'

Even though I thought that she was just making excuses to cover her actions, I took pitty on the girl. She had clearly been through a lot, and must have been thrown into the maze for some reason.

"Why are you in here? I thought this place was for criminals, but I couldn't see you as a criminal?" I asked, observing her. she was wearing a short dress, with short sleeves. On her arms I could see dozens of fresh scars that looked to be from a whip, and she also seemed to be an elf, which was rare to see this far west.

"I... I was a slave for a noble. Unfortunately the noble wanted me in bed, and when I refused, he took offence, having me beat till I gave in. When I didn't, he threw me away by dumping me here. He has done this to many other girls, that mad is a monster." She said, with tears forming in her eyes. She absently rubbed her arms, as she spoke, and I felt even worse for what had happened.

Standing up from her lap, I took a look around, before my gaze landed on a plaque and a wall of weapons.

"Gear up and provide a show, and be freed. Fail to provide a show and die." The plaque wrote, and it all clicked into place.

"Shit, this looks like we just accidently stumbled into the next area. I think we are going to be going into a coliseum and fighting for our lives soon here."

Standing up she didn't say anything other than giving me a grimace, before walking over to a rack of armor and slipping a breast plate on.

An hour later we both stood there, ready for battle, geared up and prepared for death. Stepping through the door that was on the opposite end of the room, we walked into an arena surrounded by raised seats, with people in it cheering. In the middle of the field stood a man that was covered in blood from head to toe, kneeling over a body on the ground, looting it for anything useful.

"Hah, but a group of children!" the man sneered as he saw us. "What are two children doing here? No matter, you are my last battle before I am set free of this damned place."

Looking at him with disgust, Drunia yelled at the man.

"What are you talking about? We arent children, you animal!"

The man grimaced, before turning and rising his arms, trying to rile up the crowd.

"Don't worry, children! I will be merciful, by giving you an free shot at me!" He yelled to the crowd with obvious disgust for us.

'Wrong choice, taking us for granted because we are younger for you' I thought.

"Jason!" A voice called out from the crowd to my left. When I turned to see who was yelling I saw Frank standing there, on a raised platform, with Humphrey.

"Don't be afraid to hurt this man! he is in here for the most heinous of crimes, and doesn't deserve your pity! None of the men, nor beast that you find yourself fighting will! Slaughter them!" He yelled to me when he noticed that I was paying attention.

Turning back to the man, I noticed that he had his arms open, invitingly.

"Give it your best, boy." He sneered at me.

'I wasn't planning on having mercy on anyone who threatens me, let alone this filthy cretin of a man' I thought.

Holding out my palm, I channeled my mana out and thorough my palm, sending a red streak sailing out of my palm where it struck into his chest, leaving a crater 3 ft. in diameter.

He didn't even have time to blink, before he lost control of his body and toppled over, blood leaking from the hole in his chest. Looking down, he was surprised to see a huge hole in the center of his chest. In that way he died, the first of many, at the hands of the Bloodswrite Wraith.