All the characters mentioned are fictional and the country mentioned too is fictional. The story is purely out of my imagination.
All rights reserved.
Copyright Abhi_P
He still wasn't completely used to the bloodthirsty crowd screaming his name and cheering for him. They called him 'The Lightening Demon'.
The name had first fallen upon him when his master had remarked how fast he used to land his blows. The name had caught on. His mask was jet black with scales and had two miniature tusks on the center of either jawline.
His torso armour had a sigil of a lightening striking which was bluish white in colour. The rest of the armour was again jet black. He was one of the most successful arena gladiators Asuragraham had ever seen. His father and his father before that had lived for and died in the arena. He still remembered the day when his father's head was lopped off by his opponent. He still resented his uncle for acting as if it was a great honour and completely ignoring the fact his father had left behind two hungry, sad and scared children.
The Asura's sister's husband had also perished in the arena. His sister had died during childbirth. His nephew was one of the few things left in the world which still bought a smile to his face.
The announcer beckoned him to come to the stage, interrupting his thoughts. He was supposed to face the 'Golden Hawk'. The Hawk had entered the arena professionally only 3 years ago but had quickly risen to become quite a famous arena gladiator. He had already killed 66 gladiators while the Asura had killed around 178 gladiators in a career spanning 15 years. He had already watched several of the Hawk's previous fights in the last few weeks. The Hawk used a sword and a shield (both of them were gold plated).
The Asura walked into the arena. The crowds were all screaming and cheering. These people who went to office 5 days a week, who dropped their children every day to their schools, but that was just a mask that they wore. They were bloodthirsty animals in reality and they themselves did not realise it.
The Golden Hawk came in waving his hands and blowing kisses to the crowd. The crowd loved it. The referee blew the whistle and the fight began. The Asura needed atleast $500000 to make sure that his nephew had a settled life outside this wretched country, probably in USA or UK. The official cash prize was $100000, but the black betting market would provide the rest. The Asura was ageing and he knew this was the best moment to send his nephew away.
The Hawk swaggered to the middle of the stage swinging his sword and shouting taunts. The Asura moved forwards with his own sword a chain in his right hand with a hook shaped blade at it's end. The Asura waited for the Hawk to make the first move and he did. He charged at the Asura and the Asura dodged it. He kept on doing this for a few minutes. The crowd began to get bored and impatient and began booing. The Asura was not concerned. He was not as young as the Hawk and fighting like a young man could prove fatal for him. But the important thing was that the Hawk was also getting impatient and he was getting affected by the crowd's booing and he made the first mistake; he lunged at the Asura and the Asura was waiting for exactly this move and he simply sidestepped the Hawk tripped him with his chain and slashed at the Hawk's chest. It was a fairly deep wound and blood started to gush at his chest. The Hawk looked at the seat where his fiance was seated. The Asura bent over and whispered "Surrender now and I'll spare you". The Hawk spat on the floor and got up "I don't want your sympathy". He staggered up but the Asura did not give him a chance to settle and hacked at his wrist and The Hawk's blood sprayed over his hawk sigil on his shield. The Hawk was on his knees, helpless and unable to move.
The Asura once again whispered, "You can surrender even now atleast for the sake of your fiancé". "No", the Hawk replied. The Asura had an option of letting him go, though that would still be considered as a win but he would not get anything from the black market and he really needed that money.
He knew that if his nephew did not get out of Asuragraham then, he too would be coerced into entering the arena. The Asura had already killed 178 but only for survival had he killed them. He had never done it for the money. He took his sword and pierced it through the Hawk's heart. The Hawk fell dead. His fiancé stood up, tears dripping down her face, just like his sister's face when her husband was slain in the arena. The Asura felt that the last of his conscience had also died with the Hawk. Tears filled his eyes but the crowd could not see it. The crowd was screaming but the Asura's face was blank as he walked back towards the exit. But crowd couldn't see the Asura like this, for them he was the best gladiator of the current age. Tears now fell across his cheeks and once again he was grateful towards his mask.
