Gladiator

Dungeon

Dark armour heaved, heavy on his back, as Rancor swung his hefty sword, ending with a grim conclusion to the orc’s life. The monster crumpled to the ground, with gory detail. He stood over the corpse, barely glancing down at it, through the dark slits in his horned helmet, before continuing down the hallway. Despite the heavy armour’s movement, no sound was made as Rancor walked down the vast corridor. In his fisted gauntlets, the glowing, serrated blade of his sword dripped, still glazed with ichor from his recent battles. Rancor neared the end of the hallway, and reached a door. Without hesitating, he grasped the knob, and flung the door open. A group of skeletons, with knives and clubs, stood dumbfounded in the doorway. Before they could react, Rancor struck at one, crushing another’s head in his other hand. The skeletons lunged, swinging their meager weapons at the hulking man. He ducked, slamming his shoulder into one of the skeletons in midair, while dodging under the other two, driving the third into the wall with a hard jolt. He turned, swinging his sword to finish the last skeletons. He stepped through the pile of bones, making sickening snaps as they splintered under his massive boots. He lowered his sword down to his side, and looked scanning the empty room.  Dark eyes shone out in an insidious glare through a slim slot in his helmet. A mere glimpse of his clenched, almost jagged teeth gave hint to the fearsome face beneath. Rancor’s chest heaved, breathing under the massive armour that sheathed his towering body. From head to toe, the pitch black armour covered every surface of his being, with sharp jagged parts jutting out, making a blow with a knee or elbow devastatingly efficient. Two sharp horns curved outward from the top of his helmet. Underneath the armor, he wore a thick chainmail, powerful enough to stop any arrow or knife that somehow managed to wedge itself between the plates. The room was empty, stray for the scattered bones, and the ivy and moss that clung to the wall, holding on for dear life. As if that would save them, thought Rancor, with morbid pleasure. He slashed, cutting back away from the thick mass of green. There, behind it, lay a vast emptiness. Rancor stepped forward into the dark room, and felt a blast of cold air hit the small portion of his exposed face. He began to walk forward, cautious of his new surroundings. As a gladiator, his experience had not prepared him for this. He had grown accustomed to the faint, soft glow of torches, in the dank, everlasting spiraling corridors of dungeons. Now he was faced by absolute darkness. He continued to walk forward, hearing his heavy footsteps echo far down the very reaches of his very soul, in this dark, infernal abyss. The light behind him had gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving him alone. As a gladiator, he was afraid of nothing, and even now, Rancor walked, as calm as an ancient stone, jutting off the side of a cliff, in a raging storm. Suddenly, he became aware of a presence. He didn’t know how, or why he felt it, but he knew something was in the darkness, watching him. Lurking somewhere, out of sight, something was there. The Gladiator let out a roar, waving his sword into a high arc above his head. The battle cry was answered only by silence. Sweat dripped down Rancor’s face, under his dense helmet. He recognized the thing. The presence. The person. Rancor fell to his knees, with a heavy thud. An intense spike of pain shot through his body, ripping him violently back into reality. He gripped his helmet, clenching at, as he let out a long bellow of agony. “STOP!” He yelled. “PLEASE STOP!” What could have brought this might hero to his knees, begging for mercy. Rancor began to wobble, before falling to the ground. The floor gave way beneath, and the pain began to fade into a slight throb, as he tumbled into the dark pit. As Rancor slowly drifted into unconsciousness, his last thought was remembering that what had just happened was impossible, and that he saw her die in his hands.

    Rancor woke up on the cold, hard floor. His entire body ached, and his head spun. His memory was foggy, and he couldn’t remember where he was. Everything rushed back suddenly?ies came rushing back to him. The long, twisting corridors of the dungeon, fighting countless monsters, then nothing. All he could remember was a darkness, empty and hollow. And pain. He struggled to sit up, and heaved himself up onto his feet. He reached for his sword, and found nothing. He spun, looking for his sword, but only found a long hall, stretching before him. He started walking, still disturbed by the elusive memory, that still fleeted in the back of his mind. The walls were crumbling, with vegetation crawling along the walls as he walked on. The occasional torch was lit with an eerie green, that let off a ghastly glow, that illuminated the floor in front of him. Rancor entered a large cavern, that provided some high clearance above him. Before him, a huge gaping hole covered most of the opposite wall. In the center of the room, lay a stone, with a sword drivin into it. Rancor walked forward, and grasped the smooth hilt. Before he could yank, a earth shaking roar emitted from the opening. Rancor stepped back as a huge figure emerged from the cave. A giant stood before him, towering three times above Rancor’s height. In one hand, the beast hefted a mighty club, with jagged metal spikes protruding outward. The club itself was about the size of Rancor. The giant roared once again, raising the club, preparing to squish Rancor like an ant. Rancor dove out of the way, as the club slammed the ground where he was a split second ago. He turned, stabbing at the hand with his elbow. The giant hardly noticed the tiny object puncture his skin. He raised his club again, preparing for another blow. This time, Rancor didn't hesitate. He dashed between the giant’s legs, gouging at its ankles as he ran. He turned, jumping onto the giant's back digging in with his knees to hold on. The giant bellowed, and swung around, trying to knock Rancor off its back. Rancor began to climb, slowly inching his way up the heaving back. Suddenly, the giant slammed its back into the wall, pinning Rancor against the wall. He lost his grip, and fell, landing hard on the ground. Rancor gasped, trying desperately to fill his lungs, when the giant turned. The giant roared, and swung his meaty fist in a low arc, slamming Rancor, as he flew across the room. He crashed into the wall, and slumped to the ground as the wall crumbled with his weight. He blinked, as black dots swirled in his eyes. The giant roared, a victorious roar, as he knew he had won. As the giant lumbered toward him, Rancor began to slip out of reality. Then he remembered. The person who was in the darkness. He knew it was impossible, but it still gave him hope. The giant reached down with one ham fist, licking his lips. With one great heave, Rancor threw himself past the giant, and lunged toward the sword. The giant stood shocked for a moment, before its slow brain could realize what was happening. Rancor gripped the sword, and yanked it violently out of the stone, ripping it free of its captivity. The sword glowed, with a blue flame, racing along the blade, licking the air, as if it was hungry for flesh. Rancor turned, smiling. This was going to be fun. The giant swung, narrowly missing Rancor as he ducked below it. Rancor ran along the wall, positioning himself behind the massive beast.  He clambered up the wall a few feet, and launched himself off, thrusting his sword into the back of the giant. The giant let off a long roar, as Rancor pulled the sword down its back, from its shoulder blades to its legs. Blood gushed out, as Rancor landed on the ground, rolling away from the wounded monster. The giant stumbled for a few moments, before lurching, falling to the ground in a tremendous thud. Rancor stood over the mass, in a pool of blood, and gazed down at his new weapon. It had magical properties, and he couldn’t feel the weight of his armour on his back. He never realized the burden he carried, before he had this sword. Now he could accomplish much more, with grim efficiency. This boon was truly worth his efforts.