Enter The Battle Arena

Slipping through the alleys, I keep to the shadows, avoiding the local thugs that haunt the Dock Ward. The battle ring isn’t exactly reputable, but that’s expected here. The Docks are well known for their lack of oversight and even less concern for honor. Oddly enough, the ring itself is largely left alone by the district’s lowlifes. There’s a sort of unspoken rule—participants look out for each other. Anyone who breaks that trust is disqualified and blacklisted. I’ve never seen this rule enforced, but I take it seriously. I'd rather not find out what happens to those who don’t.

The rules are simple: pay to enter, stay inside the ring, and avoid landing a **** blow. Everyone fights with their own gear. Stepping out of the ring counts as a forfeit. And if someone does kill an opponent? The killer’s on the hook for the resurrection cost—no exceptions—before they’re allowed back in. Rounding a corner, I spot the ring. About twenty members belong to it, but today only six are present.

Dagul—a hulking orc with a halberd and a permanent scowl.

Lobran—a loud-mouthed dwarf with a battlehammer and a tongue sharper than most blades.

Andin—a fencer, human, cocky, quick with his rapier.

Carter—quiet, observant, a monk who always fights with precision.

Hansel—barbarian, all muscle, all rage, carries a greataxe and nothing else.

Rebec—a sickly gnome who fights like a sadist, favoring a flail that leaves bruises... and worse.

I slip into the gathering, nodding. Lobran wastes no time hurling a few insults my way—his idea of a warm welcome. I let it roll off me. Sometimes you can use that kind of talk to bait a mistake in the ring.

Dagul and Carter are off to the side, sharing a silent understanding. The two seem to have fought beside each other before—they trust each other more than the rest of us.

The crowd begins to gather around the quarter, murmuring about potential matches and placing their bets. There’s a tension in the air, the kind that comes just before steel hits flesh.

Now it’s up to me.