n

n

nThe games had finally begun!

nConnor looked at the giant who was running towards him at full speed, and immediately reached out for his weapon.

n'Pichui!'

nThe giant had punched him hard on his lower jaw.

nDammit!!

nHe had forgotten that he was holding a spoon, and not a sword.

nAt this point, he was as silly as Disney's Hercules..... who was holding a fish as a sword, when battling with the river guardian (blue horse guy: step aside 2 legs!)

n'Houuuhahhh!'

nThe giant swiftly raised his right leg up, and forcefully sent it back downwards.... as he tried to step on Connor, who had currently fallen to the ground from that first punch.

n'Bamm!'

nThe giant's aim had missed, as Connor quickly rolled away... avoiding the fatal attack.

n.

nAs he rolled, Connor's mind immediately went to work.

nThe giant was definitely taller, larger and stronger than him, so he couldn't use his sheer strength to over power the beast.

nAnd he sure as hell could it use a spoon to do so either.

nTime was running up, and soon... the round would be over.

nConnor looked around for a while,.... and his eyes immediately lit up.

n'Houuuhahhh!'

n'Houuuhahhh!'

n'Houuuhahhh!'

nThe giant kept trying to hit him several times, but Connor speedily dodged them, and made his own small attacks as well.

n'Hyah!'

n'Hyah!'

n'Hyah'

nConnor had kicked the giant on the back of his leg, as well as the giant's back.

nAnd very quickly, his plan had finally been set in motion.

nOnce the giant was close enough to one of the numerous stake-pillars around.... Connor quickly ran up to him and jumped forward, with both legs aiming at the giant's chest.

n'Hyahhh!!!!!!'

n'Ahhhhhh!!!!'

nThe giant had been pierced on the stake-pillar.

nAlthough he blocked Connor's chest attack, he was still pushed slightly back.

nAnd it was this push that led him to fall into Connor's trap.

n'Chupuuh!'

nThe giant spat out blood, and died briskly.

nHis waist, heart, lower left belly, legs and skull had bee pierced by several iron rods on the stake.

nThere was no way that he would be alive after that.

n.

nSoon, 5 minutes were up..... and the winners had finally been chosen.

nOf course Connor was amongst them as well.

nBut just when they wanted to head back to the cages, the announcer looked at them and smiled.

n

"Did you really think that it was over?

nWell..... think again.

nBefore you all head back, you have to play Pre-second round game.

nIn truth, the game is pretty easy.....

nWe will hold up 4 wrapped parchment papers in front of each and everyone of you.

nThese papers would show which body part you will loose before you step back into your cages.

nIt could be anything.... from your ears, legs, and even your heart.

nOf course if it's the heart.....then too bad, you'll have to die right here and now.

nYour lives are in your hands, so you can't blame us for your bad luck!!

nAnd if you don't want to play, then you don't have to..... you just have to raise your hands up in the sky, and an arrow will kill you by piercing your heart shortly after that.

nTo play, or not to play.

nThe choice is completely yours.

"

n

"__

"

n.

nThe games proceeded grimly, till everyone had already participated.

nOf course all the winners from the first round had to loose a body part as per the game.

nConnor had gotten lucky.... as all he did was loose his pinky toe.

nAnd James could also be considered somewhat lucky, as he too lost a finger as well.

nBut there were some men who lost their legs, arms, head, eyes, tongues, ears..... and so on.

nAnd the worst part of it all, was that after loosing so much blood.... they weren't even given a healer to tend to their injuries.

n

n

nWith all the flies in their cells, one could only imagine how their coming days would be like.

nAccording to the guards, if they die from excess loss of blood, then it was their bad luck that caused it.

nHence they were left in their cells like lepers from the bible.

n.

nBut of course, how could the fun stop there?

nThey thought they were suffering now... but if they only knew that this was just the tip of the iceberg... Some of them would even opt to commit suicide on the spot instead.

nIn the following days to come, Mr. Death had asked the injured winners to: wrestle wild animals, roll over a large coal of fire, survive in a boiling statue... and so on.

nFor something like the boiling statue, it was somewhat similar to the boiling bull statue death sentence that existed in ancient times.

nCriminals would sit inside a golden metal bull statue.

nAnd once they were in, firewood would be placed under the bull and lit.

nEssentially, the metal would cook the same way a pot would cook.

nIn the end, the criminal's body and bones would turn into a mushy paste of blood and grounded meat.

nIn essence, one could almost melt at extreme temperatures within that bull... if left for long periods of time.

nAgain, Mr. Death had given the winners parchment papers as well.

nYes... you guessed it.

nThey would pick out how long they were to be cooked alive.

nSome people might pick 2 minutes, and others might pick 4 hours instead.

nWho knows... everything was decided upon by 'fate'.

nOf course they didn't have a choice either.

nLike Mr. Death had said: you either play, or you die!!.

n.

nAll these, were events that would definitely occur within the next 4 days.

nBut whether they survived or not, was something that only the Gods would know.

nRight now, they were tired from their first day at 'gaming'... and were in need of a good night's rest, that is if they could get past all the flies and rats that came to nibble on their open wounds.

n.

n--Riverdale City, The Empire Of Arcadina--

n.

nMarder walked around for a while, and finally sat down on his bed.

n3 days ago, he had sent his men to Baymard to find out about the situation there.

nBut can anyone tell him why these 2 knight Captains suddenly turned mad?

nThey came back telling him about a magical black bar, that could make someone shake, and even wet themselves.

nThey also said a lot of fairytale stories, that no one would ever believe.

nWasn't this the first stage of Madness?

nMarder would rather drink his own blood dry, that believe that magic existed.

nWhat did they take him for?... A 3 year old?

nIt was like saying that humans could fly, and fishes could talk.

nWho the heck would ever believe that?

nYup!....His men were definitely mad.

nHe had also decided that for the mean time, none of his guards would go to Baymard again.. lest they all turn mad.

nLet some other people be the Guinea pigs, before he sent his men in that mad zone..

n.

n

"Can they be cured?

"

n

"I think so my lord!.

nWe will send for the best healer within the western region at once!!!

"

n

n