Gatekeepers Book 1: Darkness

Let the Games Begin!

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, people of all races! It is to my great pleasure that I can announce that this year's Prisoners' Games is finally about to begin!"

Draycos sighed as he listened to the announcer hyped up the crowd into a cheering frenzy. "This situation is so messed up," he sighed as he sat on a cot in the small room his was in.

It was around nine in the morning or so, and the fresh morning air was already filled with the cheers of the audience that filled the stands of the gigantic circular stone coliseum that had been erected on the largest floating island Draycos had seen yet. The excitement in the air made the whole situation feel more like a festival then a bloody fight between convicts. Draycos felt like he was a gladiator about to go out and fight lions or something at the Roman Coliseum. He had to wonder how so many people found an event like this so entertaining that it was blown up to this scale of festiveness.

Draycos had been brought to this room about an hour ago by Vertex. It was a simple stone block room that was completely bare except for the door Draycos had come through, a cot, and an iron-barred gate taking up one wall. Early morning sunlight rained in between the bars as it led out into the fighting arena.

In addition to his normal attire since arriving in this world, he now wore a black hooded mantle that almost touched the ground. It was clasped together at the bottom of his neck with a silver button emblazoned with the image of a dragon head with its mouth wide open in mid-roar. His pendant from Iris hung out from underneath the mantle.

"What is this?" Draycos had asked after Vertex handed it to him before he had left.

Vertex looked over his shoulder down at Draycos, narrowing his eyes somewhat. "It's a gift from the king," he had responded. "It's a cloak meant to help protect you from dragonfire. You won't be able to withstand against any dragons you fight without it, so he worked on the Dragon Council for a full week to convince them to allow this." He then pointed at the silver button with his right index talon. "That image is the crest of the Stormfang family. Wearing that will show everyone that you have the Dragon King's support." Vertex turned around and exited the room. "Don't you dare fail the king if you put that cloak on," he warned Draycos as he closed the door.

Draycos sighed as he gripped the edge of the mantle, busy psyching himself up before the fights began as the announcer went on.

"This year, we have a slew of new and old participants in these bloody games! In addition to the two-time runner up dragon Balara, we also have a prisoner who's convicted of stealing the Orb of the First King! Who's excited to see what these two are capable of during the games? I know I am!"

Draycos slapped his forehead as the crowd cheered even louder when the announcer brought him up. What the hell is wrong with these people?

"Now then, let's get the ball rolling! We have one hundred and twenty-eight prisoners that passed the assessment exam and made it to the games this year! That means we'll have seven rounds of one-on-one fights, so there will be plenty of time to watch the carnage in the arena! Let's begin with deciding the first match for the day!

There's something wrong with that MC. Is he a frickin' devil or something? Draycos stood up from the cot and walked over the iron gate. The arena was set on the ground and was separated from the elevated stands by a large wall. Standing just behind the wall at even intervals were humanoid dragons completely garbed in purple robes with gold trimming. They were quite small, only about two or two and a half times Draycos's height. Every single one of them had both hands outstretched before them. In front of their hands, sitting on the top of the wall separating the stands and the arena, was a translucent, pale pink wall that surrounded the entire arena and stretched up into the air until it was out of sight.