Sianna and the Soulweaver

Prologue

His roar echoes around the arena, the scent of death still floating in the air from his previous victories.

"SIANNA!" Abyssin calls out my name like a curse word and I finally find the strength to once again look in his direction, the tower of both man and monster staring menacingly right at me. He stands at nearly 8 feet tall with razor-sharp claws and eyes of red and black that even from this distance I can see clearly. His massive feet stomp the ground so ferociously that it shakes everything around us, his muscled and hairy body gleaming with blood and sweat. He is adorned in only a torn loincloth that barely covers his lower region, the fabric of it black as night and as dark as the soulless eyes of the man who stole me in the first place.

My knees and hands are scraped up bad from the Dark Coats tossing me in here with no regard for gravity, muddied grime and what appears to be somebody else's smeared blood mixed with dirt covering my limbs and skin from the fall. I can't remember the last time I had a proper shower and every inch of me aches, the fatigue plaguing my body almost making me pass out again.

No, stay awake. Stand up and fight for your life. If you pass out, you're done for.

Another roar of contempt rips through the space between us, with cheers from the audience ringing out and certainly not to support my cause. I can hear people openly egging Abyssin on, encouraging him to maim, destroy, tear to shreds, kill...all actions that would be aimed at me. I shudder at the possibilities alone and force myself to stand up straight, facing this damned creature with fury in my heart and my fingers clenched into fists.

"Bring it on, asshole."