Death matches, one the most popular forms of amusement for higher ranking demons, as well as the method of weaning out the weak from the upper class fledglings. The first arena is a oval of 20 feet wide and 30 feet in length, the walls around it are 8 feet tall and have tearing steps that also serve as seating for the audience. The arenas are mainly lit with torch light and they all have a dome shaped barrier covering from the edge of the arena walls over the arena itself to prevent interference in the match by anyone in the audience. The entrances to the arena on ether end are large and thick demon steel gates that are raised and lowered manually. The ground being stone, dirt, and dust that have accumulated years of spilled blood that has turned it into a reddish color with the smell of dried blood lingering throughout it. Standing at one entrance to this arena is a small dragonic fire demon, small even for a five year old, his bright crimson eyes and red spines showing clear alertness and fear, his pale skin, thin limbs and wings so thin that the little veins running through them can be seen clearly with light, obvious signs of frailty that is despised by the powerful demons that have come to watch. The small demon trembling and on the verge of tears grasping the small short sword like his life depends upon it, he looks around attempting to see through the audience but is looking increasingly panicked. The arenas master raising his voice it rings loud and clear around the area and it’s stands, “Today’s death match will be the hybrid fledgling Chance against a human slave! Let the match begin!” Chance looks behind himself as the gate is dropped it’s metallic clang like two massive shields slammed together with incredible force. Heart racing Chance turns back to his opponent as their gate slams behind them, an emaciated older man wearing a loincloth and covered with scars and some wounds that were still in the process of becoming scars, wielding a blunt spear and a look of absolute hatred he starts charging towards Chance, his intent to kill clear.

The panicking fledgling looks around frantically trying to find an escape route but not finding one he chooses to run along the wall. So slow, the fledgling is really slow at running and the human overtakes him easily. The fledglings blood curdling screams fall on deft ears, the audience of demons cheering while one amongst the crowd is shouting, “fight back, don’t die blasts it!” While slamming his fists into the barrier to no avail. The human relentlessly stabbing the fledgling repeatedly as a pool of demons blood forming and the struggling fledglings screams and flailing becomes weaker he ignites on fire for a brief moment before extinguishing and falling still and quite. The fledgling is dead and the human continues thrusting his spear into the corpse, finally the arena guards step in and stop the human’s ceaseless attacks and remove him from the arena to who knows where. After a while the demon that was the only one wishing for the fledglings survival is taken down into the arena through the gate and across the arena to where the fledgling layed dead in a puddle of blood and bits of shredded flesh. Picking up the small and tattered corpse of his son, the demon Inferno, grits his fangs in anger as he mumbles under his breath, “Now what am I to tell your mother, she will be enraged that you have died after I took you away from her.” Not long after picking up his son’s corpse and carrying him back to the entrance of the arena he get bitten by his son who seems to have revived from the dead. The frantic and sporadic heartbeats coming from Chance’s little chest takes his father by surprise, as he chokes down mouthful after mouthful of his father’s blood to restore his depleted body. Inferno can clearly see that his son is purely functioning on his survival instincts at the moment, but he cares not, the only important thing is that Chance is alive. The demons who are with him retrieve a healer and inform Lady Shadow of the fledgling coming back to life. 

It seems that Chance’s suffering has only just begun.

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