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Under A Darksun Part II New Allies
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<blockquote data-quote="megamania" data-source="post: 1797599" data-attributes="member: 9255"><p>UNDER A DARKSUN</p><p>SEGMENT 134 </p><p>“The Arena of Balic”</p><p></p><p>Mania looked across the octagonal tiled surface of the arena. If he was supposed to be impressed he was not. He rubbed absent mindedly at the cuffs on his wrists as he watched two elves walk out onto the field. It was obvious these elves were exceptionally graceful and skillful.</p><p></p><p>“Watch. Watch and learn” he was told.</p><p></p><p>He watched and sighed deeply. He was just beginning to think about Cosa when a horn sounded and the two elves began to run …no… hop across the field. It was strange. Then he saw why these veterans of this arena moved this way. Each tile was in truth the top of a large five-foot column that through either magic or psionics moved up and down. There was no sense of reason to the pillars. Some rose or fell slowly. Others rapidly. Some changed direction within a few feet and others rose as much as fifteen feet into the air.</p><p></p><p>“You have got to be kidding me! You can’t fight on that!” says Mania in shocked awe.</p><p></p><p>“You can and you will. It is the will our king. It is the will of your owner.”</p><p></p><p>Owner. </p><p></p><p>How Mania hated slavery …especially when he was a slave himself. It was the first time and may not be the last time. He was going to get his freedom back however. That was certain. Psionics or not- he was going to escape.</p><p></p><p>A horn blew again and the pillars slowly receded until they were at the original level. The elves bowed and waved for Mania and the other neo-gladiators to join them. Mania knew what would happen. He and the others were to be beaten and broken by the elves. It would teach them survival. It would teach him how to survive on this unusual arena and how to survive fighting.</p><p> “In the beginning, we will go easy on you. We will have no weapons. You will have the clubs. You must collect the flag on the far wall and return to this point.” The elf spits onto a tile. It sizzles and dries up within three seconds.</p><p></p><p>Mania looks at the others. Most of them would not live long in a standard arena. The mul may in a fair fight but he lacked the grace and wit this arena would require. He knew that for these others to survive, he had to retrieve the flag and quickly.</p><p></p><p>The two elves went to the center and stood several tiles apart. Mania, the Mul and three other humans lined the wall near the slave entrance. The horn blared and the columns began to rise and fall. </p><p></p><p>The Movement was surprisingly smooth. Mania rode the column for a few moments. The mul snarled then screamed as he was catapulted by a quickly rising column and he bounced several times on the landing afterwards. The others dropped to their knees and held on. One wetted himself in fear.</p><p></p><p>The elves began to laugh. They were slowly stepping towards them. They were stepping from one block to another as it rose or fell before them. Sometimes to Mania they were lost from sight then towered above everyone.</p><p></p><p>Mania began the same movement. He found the movements rough on his knees and back when he stepped from a slow to a fast block. He wanted so much to fight the elves at this point. A rage was growing but he kept it in check. This arena was the greatest adversary ..not the elves.</p><p></p><p>Mania had moved about 12 blocks into the field before one elf caught him completely off guard. The elf kicked at his legs and successfully tripped him. Mania fell hard but remained on the block. The elf looked down and went to stomp on him. Mania used a rapidly rising column to brace himself as he allowed it to yank him up and he then kicked off it smashing into the rock hard elf. Rock hard yes. Elf no. He missed and was beaten rapidly to his knees. Spitting blood, Mania grabbed his foot and held on.</p><p></p><p>“What are you?!? A dog in heat! Get off of me dog!” snarls the elf in amusement. He begins to kick at Mania with his free foot as he had hoped. Once the elf was on one foot he tore at the ankle causing the elf to fall back into a falling away column space. The sick thud was good to Mania’s ears. The snarling string of elven curses soured his moment. He made for the flag.</p><p></p><p>He heard several yells and screams before the elf caught up with him again. The elf was still haunty and superior to him but kept wary and on the defensive. The elf stared at Mania and suddenly the column was very wet then slippery. Psionics! The elf was using psionics to make the column slippery.</p><p></p><p>Mania lasted all of 18 seconds once he fell back and had the wind knocked from his lungs failing onto a rising column.</p><p></p><p>Mania awoke later in his cell. His wounds and injuries were treated but not cured. Pain tolerance would also be part of the tests he would endear. Mania was quickly coming to hate arenas as much as slavery in general.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="megamania, post: 1797599, member: 9255"] UNDER A DARKSUN SEGMENT 134 “The Arena of Balic” Mania looked across the octagonal tiled surface of the arena. If he was supposed to be impressed he was not. He rubbed absent mindedly at the cuffs on his wrists as he watched two elves walk out onto the field. It was obvious these elves were exceptionally graceful and skillful. “Watch. Watch and learn” he was told. He watched and sighed deeply. He was just beginning to think about Cosa when a horn sounded and the two elves began to run …no… hop across the field. It was strange. Then he saw why these veterans of this arena moved this way. Each tile was in truth the top of a large five-foot column that through either magic or psionics moved up and down. There was no sense of reason to the pillars. Some rose or fell slowly. Others rapidly. Some changed direction within a few feet and others rose as much as fifteen feet into the air. “You have got to be kidding me! You can’t fight on that!” says Mania in shocked awe. “You can and you will. It is the will our king. It is the will of your owner.” Owner. How Mania hated slavery …especially when he was a slave himself. It was the first time and may not be the last time. He was going to get his freedom back however. That was certain. Psionics or not- he was going to escape. A horn blew again and the pillars slowly receded until they were at the original level. The elves bowed and waved for Mania and the other neo-gladiators to join them. Mania knew what would happen. He and the others were to be beaten and broken by the elves. It would teach them survival. It would teach him how to survive on this unusual arena and how to survive fighting. “In the beginning, we will go easy on you. We will have no weapons. You will have the clubs. You must collect the flag on the far wall and return to this point.” The elf spits onto a tile. It sizzles and dries up within three seconds. Mania looks at the others. Most of them would not live long in a standard arena. The mul may in a fair fight but he lacked the grace and wit this arena would require. He knew that for these others to survive, he had to retrieve the flag and quickly. The two elves went to the center and stood several tiles apart. Mania, the Mul and three other humans lined the wall near the slave entrance. The horn blared and the columns began to rise and fall. The Movement was surprisingly smooth. Mania rode the column for a few moments. The mul snarled then screamed as he was catapulted by a quickly rising column and he bounced several times on the landing afterwards. The others dropped to their knees and held on. One wetted himself in fear. The elves began to laugh. They were slowly stepping towards them. They were stepping from one block to another as it rose or fell before them. Sometimes to Mania they were lost from sight then towered above everyone. Mania began the same movement. He found the movements rough on his knees and back when he stepped from a slow to a fast block. He wanted so much to fight the elves at this point. A rage was growing but he kept it in check. This arena was the greatest adversary ..not the elves. Mania had moved about 12 blocks into the field before one elf caught him completely off guard. The elf kicked at his legs and successfully tripped him. Mania fell hard but remained on the block. The elf looked down and went to stomp on him. Mania used a rapidly rising column to brace himself as he allowed it to yank him up and he then kicked off it smashing into the rock hard elf. Rock hard yes. Elf no. He missed and was beaten rapidly to his knees. Spitting blood, Mania grabbed his foot and held on. “What are you?!? A dog in heat! Get off of me dog!” snarls the elf in amusement. He begins to kick at Mania with his free foot as he had hoped. Once the elf was on one foot he tore at the ankle causing the elf to fall back into a falling away column space. The sick thud was good to Mania’s ears. The snarling string of elven curses soured his moment. He made for the flag. He heard several yells and screams before the elf caught up with him again. The elf was still haunty and superior to him but kept wary and on the defensive. The elf stared at Mania and suddenly the column was very wet then slippery. Psionics! The elf was using psionics to make the column slippery. Mania lasted all of 18 seconds once he fell back and had the wind knocked from his lungs failing onto a rising column. Mania awoke later in his cell. His wounds and injuries were treated but not cured. Pain tolerance would also be part of the tests he would endear. Mania was quickly coming to hate arenas as much as slavery in general. [/QUOTE]
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