Reptar’s muscles groaned as he tried to lift his father’s axe. Made from alaxium steel which made it twice as heavy as a normal steel axe, his father told him he must try and lift it every day. “Why must I lift it Yaga?” he asked. Yaga meaning father or as close a translation you’ll find. “Because it carries with it responsibility. The responsibility to protect the herd and those who seek shelter with in it.”

“Isn’t that why we have the Yungin?” Or soldiers. He asked.

“No herd leader should ever lead from his backside. He must always be present with the herd.” Suddenly there are cries of fear and pain from outside. “Stay here Reptar lock the door behind me and hide.”

“But I must lead with you Yaga!”

“No!” he kneels down put his forehead to Reptar’s, “you must remain safe. I promised your mother I would keep you safe I must keep that promise. Now please do as I have asked.”

His father bursts out of their house axe in hand. He wanted to do as his father asked but he also wanted to see what was happening. His uncle was standing with his great sword in hand at the battle circle. Some of the soldiers were being held with blades to their throats by Goroth. Their tree village was being burned and pillaged. “You have led the herd long enough Renar, its time for a new leader.”

            “Why have you betrayed our herd Garnar?”

“War is coming, and you are not suited to the task brother. Now let us put this to the circle.”

Renar readied his axe now holding it in both hands with pommel, or butt of the axe handle toward Garnar. The two combatants circled each other waiting for the right time to strike. Garnar swipes first trying to catch Renar’s leg at the knee, but he manages to move his axe handle to intercept the blow. In return Renar shoulder checks his brother almost knocking him out of the circle. He then swings his axe slicing his brothers right side. Aqua colored blood spilled onto the ground and ran down Garnar’s leg. Most would cry out in pain at such a would, but Reptar’s uncle was a tough warrior and had bled many times in battle.

His response to being wounded was to use his powerful spiked tail to impale Renar’s calf muscle and yank him to the ground. Renar rolled out of the way just as Garnar’s greatsword landed a death dealing strike. Renar looks up to see his son watching tears in his eyes muscles tense. “Run Reptar, run!” he says taking his mind off the fight just long enough for Garnar to swing again carving through is neck at the base of the skull.

“Get him you half brained fools.” Garnar shouts at the Goroth. Reptar runs back into the house trying to lock the door behind him, but its too late. The doors burst open throwing him onto his back. The Goroth reach down to take hold of him and his uses his tail to hit him in the side of the head. his spikes aren’t large enough to kill him, but his left eye is ruined. As recompense the Goroth takes his knife and cuts the tip tail off. Reptar’s breathing gets faster, and it becomes harder for him to see until he finally passes out. He dragged to his uncle where he is kicked once in the gut. “Do you want us to kill him?” it says.

“No. he is my nephew after all. Take him to the iron hands they’ll give you a handsome sum of gold for him. He’ll likely die in a mine somewhere.”

They bind his hands and feet, and throw him onto a cart with several other children. Then they set off for the coast heading direct south through the plains. Since they are allies with the giant clan who roam their path they don’t need to worry about reprisals. They’ll trade some of the slaves for passage, the high plains giants are always looking of slaves.

A cloud of dust kicked up and inside it was a whirling hulk of green scales. Clutching a great sword in each hand and brandishing a steel spike at the tip of his tail. This mass of muscles and metal is surrounded on all side by ten other gladiators. All are armed to the teeth with spears, axes, javelins, and two have crossbows. They’re over confidant in their numbers as two of them charge in trying to skewer Reptar. But he parries them both with his swords. He lashes out with his tail piercing ones neck. This causes his spike to get stuck so his slams the now corps into his friend knocking him unconscious.

Reptar leaps from the cloud he made straight into the air and grabs hold of a dangling disused platform. He throws one of his swords end over end cutting through two more of the combatants, their torso’s splitting down to their waist. Pulling himself completely onto the rickety wooden platform he’s struck by a javelin in the right leg. Yanking the javelin out of his thigh he scans the arena. He sees one of the crossbowman trying to sneak between a pare large bolder that been raised up from underneath the arena. Before she can duck in however Reptar launches the weapon like it weighs nothing. It pierces her side under the armpit pining her against a bolder. She struggles for air trying still kicking her feet as though she was running not yet realizing she’s already dead.

Before he turns around to find where the others have gotten to, he take a bolt to his left shoulder. He howls in anger two of the spear wielding gladiators run under the platform trying to stab at Reptar’s feet. Instead of stay up he jumps down landing atop one of the spearman his large heavy frame crushes his target. He can hear screams and bones snap as they are bents backward. Their head is now at their ankles blood pooling at their mouth. He picks up the spear and charges thrusting at the other ones chest.

The gladiator leans to his right allowing Reptar’s blow to glance off, but this allows Reptar to bring his sword around cutting through his waist. The last three try an ambush tactic, a crossbow bolt sinks into Reptar’s side while the other two slice at him with hand axes. One hits him across the chest and the second slashes the back of injured leg. This just makes him more pissed off. He skewers one through the eye with his spear and the other he slices from groin to throat spilling his guts on the ground. The crossbowman’s go wide with terror as he pisses himself. Reptar speed despite his massive frame catches him even more off guard. To late he tries to run. Reptar clutches his head in his hand, his clawed fingers slowly but firmly squeeze the man’s skull. He squirms and begins screaming as he is lifted off his feet. Pieces of his begin breaking through the skin and his eyes pop from their sockets. His body goes limp, then Reptar drops it. after the crowd erupts in cheers Reptar is led away to the healers. He can hear them calling his name, “Reptar, Reptar!”

An old absurdly fat human man approaches him while the healers do their work his wounds closing. “My, my you certainly know how to give a last performance my boy.” He says wheezing and coughing.

“Reptar is strong. No one can stand against Reptar.”

“Quite right lad. Well I hate to lose you, but I did make you a deal, win the champion games ten years in a row and you win your freedom. I’ll have some gifts for you in the palace when you’re ready.”

The old man gets on a kart that is picked up by several other Bran’al and whisked out into the arena. Cheers erupt as he begins working the crowd into a frenzy for the next fight. “Are you ready for your fighters to find glory!” he says more as a statement than a question. Reptar doesn’t spend much time in the pit once the healers are done. He wouldn’t miss the bad food or slavers that kept him in bondage. He wished one day he could return only to burn it down and free those still in chains. But he had no help for such things. Looking back at Agnious he felt a small bit of gratitude, as it was, he that insured Reptar’s meteoric rise and subsequent survival.

Reptar feels some shame as he looks one of the younger Bran’al in the yes. They’re pleading with him to stay and protect them. But he can’t stay he must return and take back his herd from his uncle. They have to be his top priority. He dared not attach himself to anyone here. Having made that mistake once before he vowed never to do so again. He had once taken a mate from among those who had been sold to the slavers. She had been just as aggressive as he, they fought as a team for some time until one day she gave birth to an egg. The crimson blades which are the enforcers of law here found her and like any parent would she gave her life defending her nest. So fierce was her fight that more than fourty of them fell to her before they firebombed her and the nest.

Her and the egg were thrown to the beasts after that day Reptar would never get close to anyone, everyone was an opponent to be stepped on. They were just another rung in being crowned King of the iron cage. Even though they fought in an arena this slaving empire started in such small beginnings. It was at that point in his life he became far more feral giving himself over to what his people called battle lust. He found pleasure taking life when fighting. But it takes its toll on you, he could still see all his victims and here they’re cries for mercy. He never gave any because he knew if the roles were reversed, he wouldn’t receive any.

Return

Reptar walked through the dust covered halls of the red sand palace. He stopped every so often to watch the ghosts of the past live out their lives. No one bothered to dust or really clean much other than the sheet on beds since sand and dust were a part of life here. There were no polished floors, no metallic statues. A slavers wealth wasn’t paid in gold it was paid in favors and secrets. They didn’t need to farm because all their food grew either naturally in underground caverns or they hunted it. as for the slaves themselves, those who weren’t particularly good at anything were feed to their beasts. Those that had skills or were good fighting stock received a food stipend.

The only actual slaves kept in the palace are the washers, and cooks. All others are kept in their perspective ward houses. With sand crunching his scaly feet Reptar find himself at Agnious judgment chamber. Its where slaves are brought to determine where they are to be placed. When he entered there are more than twenty crimson blades ten lined up on each side of the entry way. And ten on each side of Agnious thrown kart.

He walks forward, his muscles tense being uncomfortable with so many soldiers at his back. He can smell fear coming from the guards, have far superior olfactory senses his people are able to avoid danger before it pounces. They are planning something likely his death. Why wouldn’t they he was the star attraction for the arena. “My friend you have become an absolute legend everyone wants to know how pulled off the most amazing feat in history?”

“What would that be?”

“Earning your freedom of course.”

“I see everyone as my enemies this allows me to be ruthless during fights.”

“Even your fellow slaves?”

“Especially them. They want to be where I am, and I want to remain in my position at the top.”

Scanning room he begins laughing boisterously while pointing to Reptar with an open hand. “This is why he is king of iron cage. He knew already before getting to my kart,” his smile fades and he stops laughing. “I really am sorry my friend, I wish it could be different. I think in a different world we could have been real friends and not what we are now.”

“I wish I could say the same Agnious, but the truth is I owe you a death.” With that he grits his teeth and sprints toward Agnious. The crimson blades try to intercept him, but he summersaults over the thrown kart and lands behinds it. Thrusting his spiked tail forward it sinks into the back of Agnious skull at the base his death is immediate. Whatever else he might have been he had always been kind to Reptar. It didn’t take long to dispatch the twenty blades that dotted the room, they seemed to be far less experienced than he thought they’d be. They fell in minutes this fight should have been his last. Once the last has been slain he checks Agnious body.

There he finds a satchel in it are several letters one of which is a full pardon for his death. Another is Reptar’s writ of freedom. The third is sealed and just says read after you’ve left. He also finds a charted boat leaving for Dumas slated to harbor in Oshireth. There is also a sum of gold though he wouldn’t have time to count it now. Throwing the satchel over his massive shoulder he breaks off an axe handle from one of chopping axes. He grabs a shield from one of the dead guards then puts the axe handle in his belt loop. He moves swiftly despite his size and heads for the docks he dared not stay lest some got the idea he should be recaptured.

 With in short order Reptar finds himself standing on the dock looking at the ship that will carry him back to his home continent. “The Ravens Eye”, is a built for fast sailing she has three masts and two additional swing masts that hang over the port and starboard. They are seated on large hinges that lock once they’re pushed into place. The hull is painted the same color of the ocean with a raven on the starboard bow. A older human male approaches, his hair is pulled into a pony tail and is dark brown with shocks of white and gray. “You must be Reptar. You are much larger in person. I am captain Eli Torkus.” He says with a flourishing bow.

“Nice to meet you. When do we leave for Dumas?”

“Momentarily. We have made all our preparations and are loading the last of our cargo now. If follow me, I will show you to your courters.” Gesturing to the ship. He follows but is weary of everyone and every sound not wanting to be ambushed again. This time he may not win.

The ship for him at least is slightly cramped. As big as he was Reptar would grow another four to five feet in his life time. Because of his size most of the furniture has been removed from his room leaving just a bed roll and chest to store his gear. The wood floor groaned under his weight as he placed his things down. “I will remain here until we leave harbor,” Eli flashed a grin at him and nod. He left the door open however which allowed Reptar to see out onto the deck. He decided to read the letter Agnious left him.

Dear Reptar, your path will be a hard one but one day you’ll find the life you deserve. Your uncle knows your still alive and it was he that paid for you to ambushed. The secrets he knew were to good to pass up. If you are reading this, it means you’re on your way home to face you’re uncle. I would caution you to not challenge him unless you have an army of your own.

There is a smith in the city of Whiteguard in the north of the empire of the crescent sun and west of the forest of shadows. She will outfit you with whatever you ask for. Just use the phrase, “A sparrows worth is not in its size.” She is the best smith on the continent even if other don’t think so. Also she is my illegitimate daughter my successor must never find out about her, so burn this letter after you have read it. Eli is a good sailor and competent captain but he’s as much a pirate as any other. I couldn’t save your mate but perhaps I can save you. May whatever gods exist have mercy on those you put in the ground my friend.

PS. Your still ugly

Shortly after he finishes the letter, he takes a flame to it and burns it to ash. Not for Agnious but his daughter or so he told himself. Not long after that came the call from the Captain, “Cast off, unfurl the sails.” They soon where in open ocean and the Ravens Eye across its surface like it was a bird flying in the air. Fast wasn’t even a good descriptor, it was lightning in boat form. “I trust you find your quarters to your liking.” Eli asks as he enters.

“A bit small but they are sufficient thank you.”

“You seem rather well educated for a slave were royalty before being handed over to the slavers?”

“No, Agnious said he liked me said I had spunk.”

“He must be getting soft in his old age I have never known him to like anyone. It doesn’t matter now anyway you have gained your freedom and will returning to whatever flee infested whole they took you from. Where di you get taken from anyway?”

“The forest of shadows.”

“The furthest we can go with the ravens eye is to Whiteguard.”

“That’s fine I have business there anyway.”

“What sort of business?”

Reptar glares at the captain who takes the hint. “Well I’ll be on deck if you need anything. We eat at dusk and it will take us about three days to get to the empires capital.” With that Reptar is left to himself leaving only when its time to eat until they reach Oshireth.