Red Eyes was a Nord and an Arena combatant, Gladiator rank. He was beloved by all on the Yellow Team. Even a few Blue Team members respected him. He knew, as did everyone else, that he was on his way to the top.
He had fought several times before, and every time without a scratch. He had flipped and twisted and wielded his sword like none had before. His enemies would attack, and he would block them. He would attack, and the enemy was brought to the ground.
Each of his battles got more and more bloody. His last battle, he had ripped out the still-beating heart of his opponent, to the howls of excitement from the crowds. The more outrageous he got, the more the people loved him.
He had been gifted with fighting ability from birth. He had trained with his father every day since a young age, and now it was coming back around. He could break a man's skull in his hands, with only a little effort on his part.
Today was an important day. If he won this match, he would proceed to the next rank. He was ready. Everyone had their bets placed on him. He would be facing an Orc, who apparently had strength rivaling his own. No matter. He had killed several Orcs before, this would be no different.
In the hours before the match, he put on his armor and prepped up. He would be taking his favorite sword, an ebony blade that could cut through diamond. There was no way he could lose.
He entered the Arena, to the immense applause of the crowd. He gave them all a wide smile, and held up his sword in a triumphant pose. The Orc showed up and the crowd erupted, "Boo!" The Orc frowned.
The announcer came on.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Arena! Today we have a crowd favorite, Red Eyes, against his Orc competitor, known only as the Grey Prince. Both are strong and skilled, but who is stronger and more skilled? Let's find out! Lower the gates!"
The gates lowered, but both simply walked out into the Arena battlefield. They stared each other down.
"Give up right now. I'll take off your head with a single swipe, you green monstrosity."
The Orc shrugged, and drew his axe out. He readied it for an attack.
"Not a talkative one, are you? Well good, because they would be your last words anyway."
Red Eyes charged forward and slashed at the Prince. He quickly blocked and counter attacked, only to swipe through air. They continued this dance of death, until finally Red Eyes cut through the Orc's belly.
Blood splattered the ground, and the green humanoid staggered backwards. Red Eyes gave a triumphant laugh, and the crowd roared with approval. Suddenly, the Orc slashed his blade out.
There was a 'splat', and Red Eyes felt something warm on his arm. He looked down to see the horrifying truth: his arm had been cut off at the elbow. Blood was gushing out of the wound, and his arm was covered in reddish-black liquid.
The crowd was in shocked silence. No one wanted to see what would happen next. The Orc made a move to chop off his head, but he was too quick to get decapitated. Even so, the axe did strike flesh, and he felt his atom's apple explode with blood.
He fell to the ground, stunned. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe. He was going to die.
He saw the Orc raise his axe high above his head. He felt the axe puncture his chest, slicing through his heart. He could barely move his body.
He saw the Orc pull out a knife from under his belt and unsheathe it above his face. His last thought was, "The Nine have mercy", before the knife struck home, going through his eyeball and ultimately killing Red Eyes the Gladiator.
The Orc looked up in victory. He shouted out to the crowd: "I am the Grey Prince! I am invincible! One day, I will be the Grand Champion." No one raised a hand to argue.