Initiation

The first thing that Cato noticed when he awoke was the scent of blood. He could almost taste the iron as his tongue with how strong the scent assailed his nose. His mind blank except for this somewhat foreboding observation, he began to take in his surroundings.

He stood in a massive open space, a sprawling plane of paved stone, cracked in many places, with obvious signs of wear. Some spots were ground down, while others had dents, and still others had claw marks. A common theme amongst all these abrasions was dried blood, found in splatters, pools, and even what seemed like writing.

He looked up, and noted the gargantuan walls that surrounded him, grand structures that seemed infallible, and barely visible battlements high in the sky above him. It seemed to be a massive arena, but there were no people visible on the walls. However, his observations were soon interrupted as an explosion of sound rocked his ears.

Cato grimaced, wheeling around to find an incalculable number of people sprawling around him, filling up the floor in a flash. He stared dumbstruck at the horde of people that had just appeared, noting their similar clothing that blended together, creating a sprawling mass of plain white robes.

He noticed, upon glancing down, that he too was dressed in a white robe. It clung to his skin, and fit remarkably well. The material was so light it almost felt like he wore nothing at all, and the smooth texture of the material was a welcome addition.

His feet were adorned in leather sandals, clearly of quality make, as they fit snugly, and comfortably protected his feet from the jagged stone floor. He also noticed a golden bracelet on his wrist, with a clear stone embedded in it. Disregarding the comfort it brought him, he tried to recall ever putting on the outfit.

He tried to recall something, anything that would help him conclude why he was here, but he drew up a blank. His memory was an empty slate, and the only thing he could recall was his name. A sudden feeling of wrongness resounded in him, a feeling that he was suddenly missing something. Cato quickly calmed himself however, as he knew it was no good to distress himself over something he couldn't change. Rather, he focused on the situation at hand.

As the other people also began to take in the strange situation they had simultaneously found themselves in, a disturbance appeared in the air in the center of the crowd, directly over Cato's head.

Cato, who was still puzzling over where he was, received a shock as he laid his gaze on the creature that appeared. It was a small thing, perhaps 3 feet tall, with a bulging stomach and stumpy limbs. It was clearly not human, with scarlet skin, black horns, and bat-like wings. A winding tail drifted out from its back, ending in a sinister spike. It was dressed in a small black suit, with a red undershirt.

The creature flapped its wings, keeping itself afloat as it regarded the crowd below it with its utterly alien eyes, with black sclera and bright yellow pupils. It broke into a toothy grin, as it chuckled and did a little bow.

In contrast to its small stature, it addressed the mob of people with a deep, booming voice. "Ooh, what a lively crowd of new recruits!" The crowd, shocked into silence upon the creature's sudden appearance, exploded with noise upon hearing it talk.

Screams, shouts and cries could be heard from every which way, leaving Cato disoriented as a cacophony of noises filled the arena. The creature's grin withered somewhat, before it whistled. The noise pierce through the crowd, interrupting even the rowdiest of people panicking. Utter silence filled the arena, as the creature smirked.

"Seems you all are a bit too lively. Oh well, we will fix that soon." It broke into a fit of raucous laughter before continuing. "Well now, greetings, fresh meat. I am your guide, your introduction Imp, Bon. Welcome to Gehenna, your new home!"

It did jazz hands, and looked at the crowd expectantly. However, silence persisted, as an awkward silence filled the arena. Soon though, confused whispers drifted through the arena, as the people grew increasingly confused.

Bon cleared his throat. "I know many of you have no memory of your life except for your name, but fear not. No longer will you live your old lives, for everyone starts anew in Gehenna. Regardless of what world you've come from, this is a new beginning.

Many people, Cato included, grew more confused at the imp's explanation, and a few even called out, demanding to know what Bon meant. This outrage soon spread, and a sandal was even chucked at Bon's head, but promptly disappeared before it could make contact.

"Now now, I know you are confused, but rest assured, I am giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity. Unlimited power, riches and more awaits in Gehenna. If you're lucky enough, you could even become akin to a God."

Upon saying this, Cato noticed that Bon's eyes gleamed with desire. The imp raised its hand, and a crimson glimmer caught Cato's eye. A sliver of red energy twisted in Bon's hand, contorting into various different shapes, twisting into itself and expanding. It acted like it had a mind of its own.

Perceiving the shock in the faces of the crowd, Bon grinned and closed his hand, suffocating the energy. "Just a taste of what awaits," he told them, as he laughed to himself. However, a shout from the crowd broke the veil of bewilderment, as a middle aged man angrily yelled at Bon.

"I don't give a damn about whatever that was, or where we are! I remember where I came from, and I want to go back! You can't just kidnap people!" The group around the man echoed what he said, regarding Bon with angry eyes.

Cato regarded the man with a curious gaze, and could feel a flicker of something. Perhaps envy? Cato remembered nothing, and yet this man claimed to have remembered more than just his name. Why did Cato not remember?

As Cato struggled internally with this, Bon regarded the man in a bemused way. "Remember, do you? I'm impressed. It takes a strong will to remember memories from such inferior planes upon entering a place like this, not to mention a great deal of luck. You're a feisty one, aren't you?"

Bon floated down before the man, and looked at the other members of the man's group. "I assume you all remember your homeworlds as well, hmm?" Previously openly hostile, they seemed to wilt before Bon's gaze, as most looked away, with a few weak confirmations.

"Well, well, that just won't do. We can't have you all gaining any unfair advantages." Bon snapped, and a red flash overtook one of the members, before quickly dying down. The woman who had been affected looked around, regarding her surroundings with confusion. "Who am I?" she asked her companions.

Bon frowned, as her companions rushed over to her with horrified expressions. "Oops, I used too much power." Completely disregarding the sobbing companions of the woman, his hand once again illuminated itself in red light, but before he could snap again, the man interrupted him.

"What did you do to her, you demon?! I would rather die than forget my home, my family, my world!" The man took a step forward, looking ready to fight Bon, but this set Bon off into a fit of uproarious laughter.

"You mortals are so amusing. This is why I accepted this job all these years ago. Ah, well, regarding your ultimatum, that can be arranged." Bon glanced down at the man as his lips peeled back, and his gruesome smile stretched across his face. "Goodbye," Bon cheerily stated, before grabbing the man by his head and crushing it.

The man's head exploded, splattered gore and brain matter everywhere, as his body grew slack in Bon's grip. A drop of blood landed on Bon's face, which he licked off with a long, black tongue.

Screams racked the crowd, as people screamed, cried and even fainted. Cato regarded the scene before him with disbelief, shocked at how quickly the man's life had been stolen from him. How could such a small creature exert such powerful strength? Was this the power of that red energy from earlier?

Bon regarded them with an indecipherable expression, before sighing. "You all are no fun. I should make it clear that this isn't your old world, if you even remember it. This is Gehenna, the playground of gods, demons, and many other horrible things. Where you are currently is a test of sorts, to measure your potential. If you do well, congratulations, an organization may take you under their wing, supplying you with everything you need to navigate this hellscape once you leave this 'tutorial' of sorts. If you perform poorly, you will suffer. You can die in an infinite amount of ways outside of these walls. Eaten, burned, poisoned, crushed, strangled, frozen, drowned, skinned, the list goes on and on. And don't believe for a second that this tutorial is safe either. As you have just witnessed, you can lose your life at the drop of a hat."

"Now, I believe that's all you currently need to know, as if you survive the first trial, you will have the opportunity to learn more about this wondrous place. Now.."

He snapped his fingers, and a clatter filled the arena as a variety of metal weapons appeared on the floor. At the same time, a massive hourglass appeared in the center of the arena, filled with red sand.

"While it's true that here in Gehenna, there is a chance for a new beginning, first you must prove yourself worthy of enjoying such a privilege. You have but a simple task to accomplish. Kill 1 person before the time runs out, and you will pass. Failure to complete the task will result in immediate termination. The first trial will now commence. If your bracelet on your wrist flashes with a green light, you pass. Begin."

Leaving the crowd with that gruesome note, Bon disappeared, and the sand began to fall, marking the start of the first trial. Cato looked around, cautiously regarding the people nearby, as they did the same. For a second, the arena was filled with a tense silence, before a cry resounded from behind him.

It had emerged from a young man, who continued to scream as a young woman slowly pulled out the sword she had plunged into his stomach. His scream soon turned into a gurgle, as she thrusted it forwards in one quick motion, skewering his throat.

This sudden burst of violence set off a chain reaction, as people desperately rushed forward to obtain a weapon. Whether due to fear and confusion at the utterly alien environment they'd been thrusted into, or as a consequence of Bon's gruesome display, no one seemed to hold back. Cato himself was no different, as he grasped a sword, quickly retreating to an area clear of people.

Some people were quite openly opposed to such senseless violence, as they vocally tried to dissuade the scared, confused mob from growing more violent.

This had mixed results, as the people surrounding them were just as often to listen then to attack suddenly. Clashes filled the arena, as people of every age, gender and race fought savagely.

Nearby, Cato spotted a boy who had just been unluckily speared by a man from behind. The man looked down at his flashing bracelet, and breathed a sigh of relief. However, it was short lived, as a hammer nearly separated his head from his shoulders, wielded by a towering old man who handled the massive weapon with astonishing ease.

Cato turned his head forward, as a young woman broke through the melee in front of him, and locked eyes with him. She seemed hesitant, but her eyes hardened as she cocked back the razor sharp throwing knife in her hand and flung it at Cato.

Startled, Cato barely managed to dodge the knife, preventing it from going into his stomach. It still cut deep into his side as he spun, eliciting a hiss of pain from him.

The woman quickly closed the distance, throwing another knife, but the first one seemed to have been a fluke, as it completely missed. She growled, and seemed to resolve herself to fight close range.

Cato awkwardly handled the sword, trying to ready himself to face her. She attacked fast, and they quickly exchanged several quick blows. Cato quickly gained the advantage, as his superior strength and longer reach quickly put the woman on the retreat.

Regardless of who was seemingly winning though, Cato quickly realized he was just as much a danger to the woman as he was to himself. He almost chopped off one of his own fingers as one of his swings went wide, and he could feel cold sweat.

The exchange continued, less so due to an equal amount of skill between the two, but rather an equal amount of experience. They clumsily fought, as nicks and scratches built up on both sides.

Cato got in a good swing that cut deep into the woman's shoulder, but she responded with a backhanded swipe that cut into his left hand. This left him to fight in a one handed style, which actually freed up his movement quite a bit.

Cato quickly glanced up at the hourglass, and felt a chill as he noticed it more than halfway empty. His sudden distraction was rewarded with a fierce pain in his chest. The woman had taken advantage to stab deeply into the right side of his chest, and he could feel the cold blade scrape bone.

The woman tried to pull the knife free, but he had backed up, and twisted, making it impossible for her to pull it out without a struggle. A fierce energy built up in him, and he swung with all his might while the knife was stuck. The sword sliced cleanly through her right shoulder, and she crumpled to the ground.

He backed up, panting, and regarding her with a cool gaze. He was initially hesitant to fight her, but upon being continuously wounded, he felt any pity or kindness slip away, replaced by a cold, apathetic feeling.

Cato swung the blade down, cutting off the woman's desperate cry as she pleaded with him not to kill her. After all this effort, he wasn't going to hesitate and let her pull some trick, or let another claim his kill.

She froze, looking up at him with disbelieving eyes, before keeling over, blood flowing from her neck. Cato felt his wrist vibrate, and saw the emerald glow fill the clear stone on his bracelet. Relief flooded through him, as the blood pounding in his ears calmed down, and the adrenaline racing through his system calmed down.

However, all the aches and wounds from the fight intensified at that moment, as he was overcome with an overwhelming physical and mental fatigue. This lapse in awareness was costly however, as he couldn't even react before he felt a cool feeling enter his lower back.

His legs collapsed beneath him, as he tumbled forward, a sharp pain assaulting him. He turned, and saw a man standing above him with a cruel grin. His eyes were bottomless pits of black, regarding Cato like a predator would prey.

Blood stained the man's robes as well as the blade of the wicked trident he held, indicating he had already filled his quota. However, the bloodlust in the man's gaze left little to the imagination.

Cato scrambled backwards, disregarding the throbbing pain he felt all over his body, and managed to get his sword up in time to defend himself. A clang rang out, as a long crack ran up the blade of the sword blade, and Cato felt his heart sink.

He desperately tried to plead with the man, disregarding the irony of such an action. "Why are you trying to kill me? Haven't you already passed the trial?!" The man's face twisted at Cato's words, and he snorted.

"No, in fact, I have not. Twice now, my kill has been stolen. They were both in the palms of my hands but they escaped. No matter though, you'll have to do." With this, he raised the trident above his hand, and time seemed to slow.

Cato could see the trident slowly swinging down towards him, the blades glinting sinisterly as blood dripped down the prongs of the weapon. He saw the expression of glee on the man's face, as the muscles in his arms tensed with the strength behind the blow.

Just as the blade was inches from Cato's nose, there was a boom. He flinched, but opened his eyes, seeing the man frozen in front of him, his gaze pointed over his shoulder. He glanced up, and saw the last particle of sand fall, marking the end of the first trial.

The man was frozen mid sneer, the trident still dripping blood. As Cato's heart beat violently, threatening to burst through his chest, he hurriedly scooted backwards, away from the man. As he shakily got to his feet, he heard Bon's voice from the center of the arena.

"Well well, things got a bit crazy here huh? Some of you even went over the quota! Excellent, excellent! I do love overachievers. Now, let us rid ourselves of these pests who failed to pass."

Bon snapped his fingers, and Cato saw the man in front of him shake, and then disappear in a cloud of dust. As Cato stared dumbfoundedly at the place where the man stood, Bon excitedly gazed down at the crowd.

"Well, now that we've gotten rid of the rabble, the real trials can begin! I would advise you to get a weapon at hand if you don't have one or yours broke, for you'll need it soon. You will follow me to a resting area, where you will be filled in more on Gehenna and given a special gift for passing the first trial."

Cato heard this through his haze of confusion and glanced down at the sinister trident that lay in front of him. When the man had been eliminated, it had remained, but he was somewhat hesitant to pick up the weapon that had almost just killed him.

The trident was heavy in his hand, but well balanced. The coarse wood dug into his hands as he held it, as blood trickled down the length of the handle. The 3 prongs of the trident looked even more dangerous close up, with tips that pointed back, to spear whatever they pierced upon pulling back.

It was certainly a cruel weapon, the streams of blood flowing down its length testament to that. However, as Cato twirled it in his hands, he felt a much more familiar feeling than with the sword. While it wasn't as if he had suddenly become a master, he felt more confident in making use of it as opposed to the sword he had previously wielded.

He twirled it in his hands once more, before looking up at Bon. Bon waited as others searched for usable weapons with trembling hands amongst the dead, struggling to find anything that wasn't cracked or splintered along the handle, or chipped on the blade.

Once everyone remaining had found one, Bon grinned, and congratulated them. "It's hard to pass the first trial, as typically only 1 in 3 pass. I am so glad to be amongst such an eager and talented group this time. Now, we obviously all passed, but some went above and beyond what was asked of them. I will award the top 10 contestants, based on the damage dealt to opponents, as well as the number of kills they had."

Many were outraged by this, as they had contented themselves with one kill, not knowing they could have gained rewards like this. To this, Bon dismissively shrugged, muttering with disdain, "If you had such a mindset in the first place, you likely would have perished due to your greed. Be content with your feeble lives."

This did little to pacify the protesters, but he snapped his fingers, and all was quiet again. As dust drifted into the sky, Bon sighed. "How many times must I display that my decisions aren't up for debate. Now, let us continue without those pests."

The first 7 who stepped forward had only killed 2 people each, and looked to be relatively normal. They received 50 small bronze tokens each that Bon explained could be used to purchase goods, such as food, better armor and better weapons in the resting area.

These 7 looked dangerous, but nothing compared to the last 3 who stepped forward, all of whom sent chills down Cato's neck with just a glance. "In 3rd place, Ceres, with 5 kills. You sure are handy with that scythe. You get 10 silver tokens, but don't spend it all in one place." He laughed, and handed them to a lithe and petite young woman.

She had a confident expression on her face, flashing eyes hidden behind the silver locks of hair that swept down her back. She wielded a scythe, which rested in the crook of her arm, its wickedly sharp blade resting along her shoulders. She remained silent all throughout, merely glancing around the crowd as she passed.

Cato met her eyes, and was fascinated by them. They were a cloudy blue, and twinkled in the light. She slightly smirked upon looking at him, and continued on. "Next, we have Brutus, with 7 kills to his name. True to his name, I see." As Bon made remarks, a mountain of a man strode forward, a heavy hammer slung over his shoulder. He has dark, shoulder length hair in dreadlocks that swayed in the slight breeze, with small beads on each lock.

He laughed as Bon gave him 30 silver tokens, flashing an antagonizing grin towards Ceres, before rejoining the crowd. He brushed past people, knocking many to the side as he took his place. Finally, Bon called forward the last person.

"Soren, with a startling 15 kills. You're sure to be a talent later on, and I'm sure you'll receive some offers while still in the tutorial." This last bit confused the crowd, but Bon made no further comment, merely laughing. A hooded figure approached the stage, a massive spear held lightly in their grasp.

As blood dripped off the tip of the spear, making a trail of blood behind them, the figure arrived next to Bon. "Now, saving the best for last, you have earned 10 golden tokens, worth 500 silver tokens, and 2500 bronze tokens." As shock rippled through the crowd, the person, Soren, nonchalantly took their prize and went back to their place in the crowd.

Cane took a glance as Soren passed, and caught a glimpse of a pair of scarlet eyes. They met eyes, and he felt a jolt run through his body, like he had been electrocuted. As he shivered, Soren passed by, not even pausing for a second.

"Now that we've finished with that, let's go to the resting stop, shall we?" With a snap, small array circles appeared underneath everyone's feet, and a red flash overtook Cato's vision. Cato felt a jolt through his body that dulled until he lost all feeling, his consciousness fading. Right before he fell unconscious, he saw a purple flash.