The coliseum in the center of Vallenguard is one of the few multiracial facilities still left in the world. Anyone of any race can enter and fight for honor and glory. Three women sit behind a desk at the entrance waiting for any to come an sign up.

Negi was walking for 5 days with out stop before he could even see the coliseum, still a dot on the horizon. The area around him was battle torn and dry from the baking hot sun, the dirt cracked with its dryness, land was flat with craters littered ever so occasion. The sun was hanging right over his head, burning with intense brightness. Neverness he kept walking towards the biulding where he would compete against numerous warriors who would come from far and wide.

The sun was now behind Negi, burning his neck and back even through his clothes. His blades where scolding hot, and the arrows where almost about to set on fire. Negi hoped that there was a shower room or a pool where he could cool off. That the thing that annoyed Negi the most about summer was the heat waves that always followed it. Tomorrow how ever would be cold, he had noticed the coulds gathering in the north. Tomorrow would be a storm. Thats why he had to get to the coliseum by that night or he would have gone from hot and annoyed to wet, cold and annoyed. Not a good combo for who ever he would be facing off.

Negi walked even more, the land scape wasnt changing, the same flat, crater ridden, scortched wasteland. The only thing that did change was the size of the dot in the distance, which kept growing with each step he took towards it. Within hours Negi had reached the coliseum. Infront of him was a desk with three women sitting behind it, also behind the women there was a large sign with a diagram of the tornament matchs. Looks like the matchs where elimination based. Negi walked up to the desk and with a big smile on his face, said "Where do i sign?"

Ledah shuffed through the barre nwasteland that led to the coliseum, the tail of the fur coat he wore kicking up a trail of dust behind him. Most would seek some sort of transport there but unlike them, he did not have the luxury of money let alone transport. However the trek had been fairly easy for him, having lived in the wilds all his life to evade human and evlen anti half blood movements, such as the one that killed his parents. The heat had been beating down hard and even under the comfort of his cloak he still felt the damned heat.

"Such heat.... it just mean that only the skilled and tough would be able to make it through, less competition like the weak humans ought to have given up by now," he chuckled to himslef, knowing full well he was the only one around." this means i will not have to deal with the long wait to take down the top dog there. Soon, soon my ambition will finally be fulfilled. The prize money is but a side bonus, but with this, finally, it will come true!" With that, he sped off in the direction of the coliseum at double the pace, unwilling to waste yet another second in the dreaded heat.

When he finally entered the coliseum however, he was rather displeased to see quite a handful of humans, something he had not expected. Around the area there were also many elves and to his relief, some of his kind as well. The throng of spectators that had come deeply surprised him but it would just furthur his achievement, that was for sure, especially with this many of his bretheren around.

As he walked toward the registration counter, he felt the cold and spiteful stares of the many humans and elves who he walked past, most who had not fully accepted his kind yet, especially one as strange as him. It did not affect him much, having gone through this on an lmost daily basis back when he walked through the towns but the sight of littlechildren cowering in fear in front of him still made him feel uneasy. Striding up to the counter, he chuckled to himself as he saw the lady who was in front of him fidget slight. She was nervous, that he could plainly tell from her face.

"I've got no time to spare with the likes of you people, i'm here to sign up for the battles and i hope you can finish this up as soon as possible," he scrowled, feeling even more gratified as she jumped in fear upon hearing him speak. With that, the lady rushed off to get the neccessary papers while once again, Ledah took to observing his surroundings.

"This is going to be a truely an interesting battle, i can feel it."

Ella drug herself forward through the desert. She had been walking for a few days, ever since she ran out of money to pay for transportation. The sun had turned her once pale skin to a rosy colour, one that she actually preferred, just not in this kind of heat.

"I'm doing this for you, mother." She spoke aloud to herself. No one else was around to hear her, and even if they did, it would not have been a big deal. She was used to getting odd looks from talking to herself. She had been lonely since her mother had died.

It was because of her mother she was here, walking through a forsaken land, to get to the colleseum. Her mother hated the elves, the half-elves even more, and wanted to see their races be extinct. She told Ella on her deathbed to kill as many as she could before she died, and that's what Ella was going to do.

"Finally." She gasped, and sprinted towards the colleseum.

Inside, she was pleased to see many humans, but her happiness faded as she looked around. The elves didn't bother her, no, it was the half-elves that did the trick. One had killed her father years ago, and Ella carries out the grudge.

"Hello. I am here for the contest. Is this where I sign up?" Ella asked as politely as she could.

Connor traveled alone, as he prefered to. Rumors of a tournament would normally mean little to Connor, but it was open to all races the first competition in hundreds of years that involved a member of each race. A few days of travel through the wasteland would do little to one who has lived as long as he, but if he couldnt make it through the desert then how could he be strong enough to enter anyways.

He arrived at the colliseum when darkness fell, the coldest time of the day in the desert. There were many people here, alot of new fresh warriors with no battle experience looking to make a name for themselves talked amongst themselves, trying to sell themselves off as great warriors. Few among those that entered were soldiers who fought in the war, looking to make some money. A few ledgends among men, elves and half elves alike have entered as well.

As the swordsman entered, the room fell silent. Many knew who Connor was and what that howling wolf symbolized. To see the captain of the Black Wolf Mercenaries alone was not a rare thing but at a tournament was another story. His cloak covered his armor but the howling wolf symbol on it could belong to noone else

"Im here to enter" Connor said to the women at the desk

“I am the best. There is no one better than me!”

These words rang through Mikael’s head as he limped through the desert, closer and closer to the colosseum. He could see other warriors approaching the colosseum in the distance. He knew this would be a test of his strengths and a great way to observe the fighting styles of his enemies.

It was only hours earlier that Mikael’s horse had given up, half way through the desert, leaving Mikael to walk the rest of the way. Since the great war, Mikael’s right leg has never healed properly after having the steel of an Elvin sword pierce his flesh and shatter the bone, though this was not going to stop him from his goals.

It was near sunset by the time Mikael got to the entrance of the colosseum. His armour clanked as he walked along the stone path to the entrance. Mikael walked up to the counter where three ladies sat. They looked at him, and he instantly knew they were frightened of him. He was one of the only ones to have such scary looking armour.

Mikael just stood there and stared at one of the women. Chills were sent down the woman’s spine as she handed Mikael the entry form. Mikael signed up and entered the colosseum. Inside, there were many contestants. Most of them were people he had never seen before, but there were faces he had met on the field of battle, some elves and some men, but all were foes inside the colosseum.

Some men came up to Mikael, trying to pick a fight, throwing insults at him and threatening him with their weapons.

“You don’t look so tough! I bet my rapier could pierce that weak armour of yours!” One of the men boasted.

Mikael grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him up with one hand. The grip was so strong that the man began to turn blue. Mikael did not respond to the man, just gave him a cold stare through the slit in his helmet. Mikael threw the man and watched as he slid across the floor. The other men fled, worried that Mikael was going to turn on them next.

Mikael walked away and leaned against a wall, pulling out some flint and one of his daggers to sharpen. He decided to stay put, so he wasn’t thrown out of the competition for unruly behaviour before the tournament. Mikael continued to survey the room, watching as more contestants entered the room, separating into the three main groups that had formed.

Quite some time had passed since Mikael had entered the colosseum. A rather important looking man walked into the room and everyone fell silent. Mikael stood up, expecting to hear some sort of news from the man.

“Tonight, we have our first match! Names have been pulled out at random so you cannot be completely prepared for the battle. The first two contestants are…” The man paused as he unfolded a piece of paper, “Mikael Ater versus Ella Liort. These are the two fighters for the first fight!”

Mikael was disappointed that he was not up against an elf or someone he had fought before, but he knew if he wanted to see these people fight, he had to win. Mikael walked over to the corridor that lead out to the centre of the stadium. When he walked out onto the battlefield, there was a huge roar from a crowd that had come to gamble and see the blood fly.

Mikael pulled out his two daggers and gripped onto them tightly, staring straight at where Ella was to enter.

Ella looked up as her name was called.

"So soon?" She thought. She hadn't expected to go first, and wasn't quite sure she was ready to. Taking her sword from beside her, she got up and briskly walked to the corridor leading her to the battlefield.

"Keep me safe, Mom." She whispered before stepping out to where people could see her. She was a bit frightened at the large crowd, she had not expected so many people to be there.

She stared at Mikael, and tightened her grip on her sword. She took a deep breath, and zoned everyone but her oppenent out.

From the corner he was standing at, Ledah cursed in disappointment that he had not been called first, having pysched himself alot over this entire championship. Nevertheless, this would give him the much needed time he needed to observe his opponents. Exiting the room, he ventured off to look for a good viewing spot.

Negi sighed as the names that where called out here not his. He looked across the room and saw the combatants leave the room, and then the old guy left the way he came in. Some of the other people in the room left also, going to grab a seat to watch the fight. Negi and his dog wanted to see this fight also, dog looking up to him and whining. I know boy, i know. Lets go watch this fight.

Negi walked out of one of the exits into the stadium and took a seat close to the room, so he can get back there and not miss his name being called. He was interested in knowing how these people would fight.