Part Three: The Arena

They were in some sort of small antechamber, dank as their previous cells. A pair of guards stood silently by a large stone door, each clothed only in loin cloths, and each wielding a two-edged blade as big as themselves. They saluted the black eyed man as the group entered, raising the swords effortlessly. The flame-covered man acknowledged them with an impassive nod before turning to face the warriors.

"Impress me."

And with one final flash of light, he teleported, taking the creature with him.

Soshika felt her legs regaining sensation, and she sat down quickly as the pins and needles danced along her feet. She stared grimly at Rabin.

"Why don't you just teleport out of here, huh?" she said.

"Can't." Rabin tugged at a seamless badn of metal on his leg. "This only allows me to teleport in the vacinity of the areana, so I'm told."

"Shh! The keeper's coming." Kieri hissed.

Just as he finished speaking, a section of the wall slid open and an enormously fat man emerged. He seemed to be made entirely of vegetation, for he was green and grassy from head-to-toe. He carried a large, spiked club. He grinned, showing off yellowed teeth.

"Right! I'm gonna tell you group of pansies what you're all going to have to do to get beat up less out there, so yer all gonna have to shut up. First..."

He didn't get much farther, because at that exact moment he got a faceful of fist. Misuka had lunged forward, and all but smashed her fist t hrough his skull. Teeth and spit dripped from a bloody mouth, and more blood flowed freely from a pulverized nose. The Keeper swayed back and forth a moment, stunned, before Misuka siezed his club, spat sideways, adn smashed the remainder of his face to peices.

"Keep that, asshole." Misuka dropped the club and dusted her hands off. Damn, that felt good! She thought.

"Ummm..." Kieri scratched his head. "Well, now that he's dead, I guess I'll explain. It's simple, really. You just go out there and fight a deathmatch. If you need anything, go to the table over there and say 'Equip me.' That's it. Oh, and the door tells you who goes first." He rubbed his hands together. "Let's begin."

Steele went over to the door and tapped it lightly. The surface swirled, seeming to sink in on itself before forming four simple letters;

GREY

Grey gazed impassively at the door. Shrugging, he got to his feet and prepared to step through.

Soshika couldn't help herself and called out. "Good luck, Grey!"

Grey didn't turn, but he waved an arm behind him as if to say "Right."