Warriors of a Princess

Through the mountain range that divided East Koriv from Grussia, and Eoth they searched to no avail. Each of these nations were at war with their “masters” whom they hardly consider worth their time despite their might. In vain they searched each state including the small state known as Vunnace. From Vunnace they came to Mulzan where they were forced to take the vast mountain range to a savage land. Following the trail of their princess no more than 34 Vorcadam Swordsman-Retainers found themselves in the city of Rednight Fangsir. Rednight Fangsir is a city of supposed vampires, which are more like humanoids who enjoy blood in many ways. For a whole month each one was forced to fight in what is called the “Fierce Games” where any captured warrior or soldier are forced to face the gladiators of the vast city. One by one each katana wielding warrior fought their opponent, and through strength, will, and prowess they defeated them. It was now the end of the “Fierce Games” all 34 Swordsman-Retainers stood in a circle surrounded by 530 Gladiators from the vampire city, and a few other cities. All around them stood the arena filled with roaring crowds and spectators. Over 40,000 spectators came to watch these gladiators fight these warriors. The gladiators were just now entering the arena from every gate, and tunnel. Thirty-four of Vorcadam’s finest warriors handpicked to be the princess’s retainers of an island kingdom that was unified around the time the invaders conquered the region. One of them looked over to one of the main balconies that was shaded. The warrior spotted a group of five figures dressed in loose, revealing garments with various dark colors. Among those figures stood the princess herself held hostage on a leash. It was not clear how long she had been here or when she came to be a slave. All these Retainers knew at this point was death was sure to follow at the sound of the gladiator horns.

When the horns sounded, and the leader of the city signaled for the games to begin all the gladiators and more charged at the smaller group of warriors. Every one of them braced for the bloodshed that was to come. Wielding their blades, they moved to meet these gladiators. Using every form of swords play, technique, and forms they took on this large wave of combatants. Blades met blade, wood, steel, handles, armor plating, flesh, shields, poles, and various heads. Clouds of dust and sand arouse from the fight that ensued in the arena. None of them could tell if they were making any progress as more gladiators poured in to slay them. It became a massacre of gladiators until multiple warriors were overwhelmed or stabbed with spears. Slowly the Vorcadam Warriors fell to the gladiators’ numbers and overwhelming force. Limbs were hacked off, ribs broken and smashed, faces cut up or crushed. Many of them were impaled with different spears, and pole weapons. The battle lasted for most of the day until dusk with crowds going wild. Bodies, blood, limbs, weapons, and guts cluttered the entire arena as these warriors moved around to help one another combat this overwhelming force. The corpses and movement almost formed the shape of a sun star. At dusk only, a handful of combatants were left each one exhausted and aching from fighting and constant swinging of their weapons. The Retainers were few at the end of the day. Five of them remained and they faced just six gladiators who were struggling to kill them. Each combatant slowly collapsed due to exhaustion. Some of them took the advantage of the collapsed opponent only to be cut down by another. Two of the Retainers took their own lives. One was beaten to death, and another died of his wounds. As for the gladiators they made their way to the last one who was still able to cut both down before falling on a few corpses. His robes, and armor did not protect him from the blades and sharp edges that stuck upward. Blood came out of his mouth, and body. He looked at a few of the sharp objects that pierced his body before looking over at the princess they had failed to return.