Agori Berix stood somewhere in the vast wastelands of Bara Magna, among a highrise of canyons and cliffs. His cobalt blue armor did poor to give him camouflage, in fact it made him stick out like a red-streaked mushroom in the middle of a green grass meadow. But the place was devoid of life for miles around, so he had no worry of being ambushed.
Exhaling sharply, Berix looked down at his collection. A hunk of twisted, broken metals lay before his feet. Shapeless, abandoned sure, but they were usable. With the right tools... Berix set to work. He picked up a warped piece of metal and bent it into shape with the assistance of a few tough rocks and a stalagmite. With heat-cored rocks commonly found in canyons like this, he fused it together with an extra piece of plating and sewed leathery straps into slots. The next step was gathering a strip of bark from a tree, any tree, which he ground into paste and sprinkled with the powder of a Panaya seed. He stirred it in, and when it came out, he had a pot full of blue paste. He swiped it across the new breastplate with a leaf, and waited for it to dry. By the end of the day, he was evaluating his work with a skilled eye.
"Not a masterpiece, I'll admit," he said to himself, "But it should do. I need to come upon some better resources... these metals are weak and warp easily. The straps need some toughening up, too. And there aren't much tools to work with."
He compared the new breastplate to the scratched, rusted one he wore currently. He took off the old one and donned the new one, sighing in relief. He then looked down at his mud-covered, stained leggings. "Maroon masks of Vulcanus, I'm going to need to wash these pretty soon."
He looked down at the remains of the metals and other things he'd gathered. "A blade..." he murmured, due to his habit of talking to himself. "I could make a blade... and a shield, maybe. There are a few extra bits, so..." his monologue was cut off by a cold shriek and then the sound of armor being ripped from something. Or someone. Berix's blood turned cold, and he froze in place. It was some time before evening, and the suns were still blazing in the sky, but the air around him seemed more present than ever, and very cold.
The scream ended, and Berix heard a hiss, probably one of satisfaction. He then felt the ground shake a bit at the same time a thump! not too far away sounded. Instinctively, Berix ran and dove beneath a small sand dune, which he hoped would hide him. The footsteps continued, and around the corner of the rocky cliffside, he saw a giant, red foot stamp itself into the sand, making the clumping noise it had before. A great, muscular leg of the same followed it, and soon the body of a red-black Rock Steed was in full view, with a Bone Hunter on top. Berix held his breath. A Bone Hunter could outmatch even a strong Glatorian if they fought, especially when he had a Rock Steed beneath him. Killing an Agori would be effortless if one Bone Hunter did wish to. But why would a Bone Hunter wish to harm one, haphazard Agori? Berix gulped. He knew the answer, as he shifted the sack full of fruit and valuable supplies nervously on his back.
The Rock Steed sniffed the air, either that or snorted in disgust at something. Then it lifted its head to its rider and made a throaty, high-pitched wail. The long-helmed Bone Hunter patted the Rock Steeds shoulder. "Easy, Skirmix," he said in a deep, lethal voice. "Our work's done. Let's go."
The Rock Steed, presumably Skirmix, wailed again and then tramped off at incredible speed, shaking the ground with every footfall. When Berix was assured they were gone, he slowly stood up from his position behind the sand dune and crept over to the cliff. He rounded the corner where they'd been. An alley, etched out of cliff walls, which had a dead end of stones and sheer rock face. Berix noticed a pathway sloping up into the cliff beside him. He cautiously went up it, turned the corner, and suppressed a scream when he almost tripped over the body of a dead Skrall. His heart quickened. He slowly regained composure, and examined the corpse. This was an old kill, for the blood around it was dry, dark, and caked into the sand. There was a long, deep gouge underneath the left shoulder blade, and then an indentation in the back armor, where it looked like something giant had stepped on it. Berix gulped. Skirmix.
A shield with the intricate symbol of the Rock Tribe lay beside the Skrall, snapped in half, along with a broken blade. "Who did this?" Berix whispered. Could it have been that Bone Hunter and his steed? But if so, why? And what was a Skrall doing all the way out here anyway?
"Help!" A weak cry from far up the passageway. Berix threw his head up and ran. He tripped a few times on the loose sand, but made it to the top in a matter of minutes. There was another Skrall on the ground, but this one was still alive, if only for the moment. Fresh blood surrounded him in a puddle, leaking from a wound in his chest. "Agori..." he moaned, his voice holding a strange compassion and sorrow that no Skrall had. "Come."
Berix didn't want to, but he knew that this Skrall was dying, and probably had something important to say. He slowly walked forward and knelt by him.
"My name is Vaktus," the Skrall said. Berix jolted. Skrall didn't have individual names! Not unless they had high rankings among their tribe. Vaktus would've chuckled, but he was too weak. "I have seen many things in my day, and done things against the will of the Rock Tribe. Once, I tried to prevent us from doing something very... heartless... and this is what happened to me. I was killed for it."
"By the Bone Hunter?"
Vaktus nodded. "Aye.
"I need you to relay this message," the Skrall continued. "Warn the other villages. Warn them of the Rock Tribe. Tell them... tell them something big is coming to the sands of Bara Magna." He paused. "...And... and that they should-" a loud clacking noise, the distinct sound of a Thornax launcher being fired, and the Skrall spoke no more after the rock-hard golden fruit slammed into his chest. His eyes glazed over, his breathing stilled, and Berix knew he was dead. With a cold fear dominating the insides of his body, Berix turned. Standing just before the passageway was the Bone Hunter, atop his frightening Rock Steed.
"That's Vaktus," the Bone Hunter said. "Always was good at telling stories. One of these days, though, he was bound to get himself killed."
"You..." Berix whispered.
The Bone Hunter cocked his head. "So what, I killed him. Now, what was he saying to you, little Agori? I only heard that last part. "And that they should". Tell me, and I might just let you live."
Berix gulped. With all the courage he could muster, he said, "Never."
The Bone Hunter patted his steed, and Skirmix took two steps forward and lowered his head. The Bone Hunter leaned close. "What did you say?"
"Never." Berix repeated.
The Bone Hunter shrugged as if it bothered him not at all. He reached into a satchel at his steeds side, and pulled out a Thornax fruit. "Took a while to get this. You know how long it takes to grow just one over-ripe, exploding Thornax? I'm telling you, hard work. Takes patience. Pity I have to use it on you." He loaded it into the open nuzzle of his launcher, and aimed. "Goodbye, Agori."
"No!" Berix screamed. His hands flew to the corpse of the Skrall, and he hurled the dead Glatorian's bladed shield into the air at the Bone Hunter. It hit the Thornax, and the fruit exploded, sending Skirmix stumbling back.
Berix got to his feet and ran, despite the fact that the only way back down was through the passage that the Bone Hunter was blocking. He ran to the edge of the cliff, regardless of the fact he was too far from the ground to jump; he just wanted to get away from the Bone Hunter.
"Get back here, you little pest!" The Bone Hunter snarled, and Berix heard the Rock Steed running after him. He felt the hard blow of a ripe Thornax against his back, and flew forward onto his chest, skidding through the sand. When he stopped, he was two feet from the edge.
"Got you now, Agori!" the Bone Hunter boasted, and loaded his launcher again. Berix spun around and got to his feet, not daring to look back, where the ledge was now half a foot from his heels.
The Bone Hunter aimed his Thornax launcher at Berix's head. "Any last words?"
"Can I ask a favor?"
"Sure."
Berix gulped, trying to hide the fear coursing through him. "Go soak your head in the Sea of Liquid Sand."
The Bone Hunter exhaled deliberately and smirked behind his helmet. Without a word, he triggered the Thornax Launcher. The spiny fruit flew towards Berix. The Agori ducked, with a shout of defiance. His feet caught, and though the Thornax did not hit him, he fell over the cliff ledge.
"Aaah!" Berix screamed as he fell, knowing this would be the end. He caught a glimpse of the Bone Hunter and his Rock Steed leaning over the ledge as he plummeted. Then they turned around and headed off.
The ground hit Berix hard, and a shockwave surged through his chest and shoulders like the power of a hundred Thornaxs combined. Then there was pain, and dizziness. But out of it all, there was one major conclusion. Berix was still alive.
Groaning, he got to his feet and dusted his armor. Then he checked his body to see if anything was broken. Satisfied that his insides were still intact, he ran off, hoping that the Bone Hunter really did think he was dead. After he covered about a few miles, he stopped, and dropped to his knees, panting out of exhaustion. When he caught his breath, he curled himself up by the cliff base, thinking.
An explosion interrupted his thoughts. A Skrall flew out of a cliff face just a half-mile away, and then the same Bone Hunter marched out. "Still alive, are you?"
Berix opened his mouth to keep himself from choking on a sudden stagnancy of airflow, and sprung to his feet. He ran as fast as he could, turning the first turn that would lead him out of sight of the Bone Hunter.
"That Agori's still alive?" he heard a shout in a now-familiar voice, and then a spit. "Good thing that's the last turncoat Skrall here. The hunt has begun, then. That Agori has too much information."
Berix gulped, and kept running. The canyon was a maze of passageways, all partitioned by massive cliff sides, so it was easy to get lost in – or lose a pursuer. Berix ran, turned, ran, turned, as long as the path kept branching off and turning, he ran. Hours passed. The sky got cloudy and assumed a greenish tint, but stayed bright. Berix kept on running. His foot caught on a rock, and he tripped. He heard metal scraping against rock, painfully close, and felt a giant head slither down above him.
"Hunt's over," the Bone Hunter said. "You lose."
He brought his jagged sword up, about to slice Berix in two – when a rock-hard Thornax slammed into it, diverting his blow. "Aaah!" the Bone Hunter snarled, then turned his head at another, unseen by Berix. "You must be tired of living, Glatorian."
"No," said a voice. Berix turned his head to see a jungle-type Glatorian who he knew as Gresh standing there, Thornax launcher aimed and ready. "Just tired of Bone Hunters like you. Leave the A
Agori alone and move along."
"Heh." The Bone Hunter said. "One lone fighter, still with sand in his ears, challenging a Bone Hunter? Did the suns get you, or are you just stupid?"
"Not sunstruck. Not stupid. Just a traveler. One thing though..." Gresh nodded behind the Bone Hunter and his steed. "I never travel alone."
Berix, now on his feet, saw two more Glatorian – a water-type and an ice-type – standing behind the Bone Hunter, armed in brilliant, elaborate armor and weapons. Berix wished he could have such equipment. Maybe if he did, he'd have a chance to be accepted into an arena match.
"Hah!" Gresh yelled, and he leapt into the air and sliced his double-blades out. The Bone Hunter caught them on his sword and shot a Thornax, which the Glatorian managed to dodge in time and land safely onto the sand. The Ice Glatorian, Strakk, advanced, swinging his crystal-bladed axe. The Rock Steed caught the attack on its armored tail and flicked it furiously, throwing the Ice warrior back into a rock.
"Get out of the area," said a deep voice, and Berix was suddenly seized and taken into the air. He struggled for a bit, then turned to see it was only the water Glatorian, who he now recognized as Tarix. "Or you might get hurt."
Berix nodded, and Tarix set him down after running a bit from the fight, with a warning to the Agori over his shoulder. "Stay back."
Strakk swung out with his crystal-blade axe, but Skirmix caught it in his claws and whisked it out of the Glatorian's hold. Tarix jumped in just in time and sliced the axe out of the beasts hold. Strakk caught it in mid-air and managed to nick the Rock Steed under the neck. It wailed and threw itself back.
Gresh tossed two Thornax into the air, caught one in his launcher, fired, caught the other, and fired again. The Bone Hunter dodged one and deflected the other with the flat of his blade. He shot his own Thornax at the Jungle Glatorian, who dodged it swiftly. Tarix jumped into the air and managed a clear shot into the side of the Bone Hunter's head, which made him cry in pain.
"This is hopeless," the Bone Hunter growled, and then yanked Skirmix's reins harshly. "Flee, Skirmix, flee!"
The Rock Steed took one more swipe at Gresh, and then turned to retreat.
"Block him!" Tarix called out to Strakk. The Ice Glatorian nodded and did a quick somersault to get in front of Skirmix, and assumed a defensive stance. However, it was too soon, and the Rock Steed simply batted him down and stomped over him. The Bone Hunter was soon out of sight.
"Ow." Strakk said as he got to his feet and rejoined his comrades.
"I said block him, not get trampled by his mount," Tarix said with a hint of amusement.
"He'll be back with friends. We should keep moving." Gresh practically suggested. Berix shrunk under the possibility that they'd ask why the Bone Hunter was after him. His sack had been crushed by the fall, so he couldn't use that excuse.
"Thanks for the rescue," Berix said sincerely, "but I don't have anything to pay you with."
"Don't worry," Tarix assured him, "We did this one for fun."
"Speak for yourself," Strakk spat. "I don't fight for free."
Gresh scowled and turned on his ice comrade. "Glatorian fight for the villages that hire us, so they don't have to fight each other. But we don't charge to save a life."
Strakk held his hands up in surrender and stepped back wordlessly. He then turned to Berix. "What are you doing so far from Tajun?"
"Collecting bits of old armor," Berix replied truthfully, though he would not tell them what he'd just been through. "I need better armor if I'm going to fight in the Arena someday."
"You need more than that, sand flea," Strakk said. "You need -– hold on, company!"
An explosion of sand to the left, and three Glatorian-sized creatures sprung out of the ground, their tan armor perfectly blending them with the tawny desert. They had helmets on, armed with sharp pincers. They each had Thornax launchers, and long, bladed staffs. Berix knew what they were. Vorox.
One sprung onto Tarix, overwhelming him and sending the Water Glatorian to the ground. Another whipped its stinger tail at Gresh, who blocked it with his shield. "Hungry," the Jungle Glatorian called, "or just angry, do you think?"
"Probably both," Tarix said, right before being whacked in the chin by a tough-armored fist. Strakk fended off a Vorox's blade with his ice axe. "Since when do Vorox need a reason?"
"Good point," Gresh said, slamming his shield into the face of the one attacking him. Everyone in the battle got ready to spring again, when a sharp, loud whistle interrupted them. "What's that?" Tarix asked.
"Hey!" Strakk said. "They're leaving just when I was starting to enjoy this."
It was true. The Vorox turned their backs to their opponents and tunneled back down into the sand. Berix looked around, and saw a shadowy figure standing on a nearby cliff. He was big, bulky, and red-armored. He obviously wasn't an Agori. "It was that Glatorian over there! I think he signaled them!" Berix said to the other three. "Who is that?"
"That's Malum," said Tarix after squinting for a better look. "Exiled from Vulcanus for crimes in the Arena. Looks like he's made new friends."
"Not our problem," said Gresh, who walked over to the Water Agori. Berix was struggling to pick up the staff one of the Vorox had dropped. It looked valuable enough. Unfortunately, it proved very heavy. "We're due in Vulcanus. Remember?"
"You're going to Vulcanus?" Berix asked. "Why?"
"Got to fight," Gresh answered. "You be careful in this desert, got it, Agori?"
"My name's Berix," Berix said. "And I will."
"Don't get into any more trouble." Tarix said.
"Shouldn't be out here in the first place," Strakk grumbled.
Berix nodded, and walked off. He waved goodbye. The Glatorian marched off, soon disappearing into the horizon. Berix collapsed onto a rock. The canyon was silent at last. He couldn't help remembering Vaktus' dreadful expression, and his words.
"Warn the other villages. Warn them of the Rock Tribe. Tell them... tell them something big is coming to the sands of Bara Magna."