Chapter 1

"Eob! Eob! Eob!"

The wild cries of the crowd thundered and echoed around the enclosed cavernous dome that encompassed what B03 had come to call home. Rusty iron chains scratched at his wrists with every step he took, slowly making his way towards the wooden bars that separated him from the bloodthirsty audience. Irritatingly chipped and irregular bits of pebble littered the floor, scuffing up against the soles of his feet. The damp smell of moss and moisture invaded his nostrils, giving off an unsettling odor that to this day, he'd never gotten used to. Probably because he could detect the faint, almost indistinguishable scent hidden underneath everything else in this wretched cave. Blood, sweat, and human excrement.

What a hellish place to call home.

"Well, if it isn't everyone's favorite human eh?" The deep, sarcastic tone of Bruce Bardus chuckled from beside the gate. "Whaddya say we spice things up a bit with this here match, huh?" The warden said, giving him a hard clop on the back, his hoof penetrating through the rags that served as a horrible excuse for clothing. B03 grunted, the sharp ringed edges leaving a lingering sting as they left his skin. Bardus laughed as B03 heard the unmistakable ring and ting of magic being performed. On cue, the gate in front of him groaned and creaked, slowly beginning its ascension. "Good luck, Eob." He snorted, chuckling as he called him by that damn nickname he'd been given by the many frequenters of these unorthodox events.

Nevertheless, he walked out from the tunnel's exit, the loud cheers of approval from his audience almost masking the sound of the gate slamming shut behind him. His fingers curled into tight ball, his fingertips digging into the hardened skin of his palms. This was not due to the unspoken discontent he harbored against his observers, he'd already dismissed the use of being angry with them. There was no point in it anymore. Instead, he did this to dispel the tension away from his limbs, trying to relax them and prepare for the confrontation that was to come.

He was the underdog, a newcomer to this atrocity they dared to call a game. It wasn't hard to see why. His frame was better than most of the other inmates that shared this terrible existence with him, his body mass slim and dwarfed by the oversize rags he wore, but not around long enough to become malnourished and twig-like like the rest of the poor souls he was tossed in with when he arrived. He too himself had already begun to suffer minor weight loss. Unlike most of the others though, it was by his own choice. They needed as much food as he could give them and the only way to get what was considered a good ration size was by doing well here. In the arena.

The crowd had since died down a bit and he took the opportunity to tune in on their hushed chatter. "Fifty bits says that he won't last three minutes against the champ." He heard one of the crowd members say.

"You're on." Another one chimed in, accepting the insulting bet. "He's an agile little punk. He'll probably last longer than that!"

"Have you seen the game master's champion? He makes even the tallest of these humans seem small." A third voice countered, joining in on the other two's argument. "It doesn't matter how quick he is. These humans hardly have the endurance of a frilly. He'll tire out and end up like the rest of those who've fought against Igor. Squashed. A hundred bits says he won't last two."

So, that was it then. They'd finally had enough of him. He'd heard plenty of rumors about the champion fighter called Igor from his fellow cellmates. The few that were given the mercy to be spared by the ogre of a kid recounted their battles with him in great detail. He was a teenager, taller than everyone else by at least a foot and as thick as an oak tree. It's said he had been torn away from his mother by one of the slavers here and then raised by them to be their greatest fighting machine. Strong, emotionless, and barbaric in nature, much like the guards that kept them all here. He did not sympathize with his own race and instead condemned them just as much as their animal captors did, never hesitating to kill anyone he was pitted against if he was allowed. The people here that normally bet on which of them would be the victor in these disgusting battles did not do so when a match was made with Igor. They only wagered on how long the other would survive against him.

Despite this knowledge, he felt no fear. Not even when the gate across from him was lifted and the lumbering behemoth stomped his way onto the arena floor. The crowd roared and bellowed at his entrance, giving him a welcome fit for their star fighter. Metal armor clanged loudly as he beat his heavy hand against it, gaining an even louder uproar from the crowd. He let out his own distorted cry, reveling in the praise of the sick animals that surrounded him. B03 merely shook his head in pity for the poor fool. These were the very same kind that had given him his disfigured and ugly appearance and induced the deformity that rendered the teen incapable of speech. How cruel his indoctrination must have been.

"Final bets! Place you're final bets and get ready for the match you've all been waiting for!" Bardus exclaimed, using magic to amplify his voice so it could be heard over his audience. Quickly, everyone quieted down to listen, anxious to hear him announce the start of the fight. "To our right, everypony's favorite reigning champion, Igor!" He shouted, letting the crowd once again burst into applause and cheers. He waited patiently until they died down. "And to our left, the unexpected underdog that has surpassed everypony's expectations thus far, Eob!"

Surprisingly, there seemed to be an almost equal amount of fans rooting for him as there were for Igor, most likely because the odds were against him and it would mean a good payout for those that bet on him. Even so, he caught whiff of Igor growling at him in between all the white noise of the crowd. He gave the overgrown boy a smile, intended to come across as cool and cocky. It had the desired effort. Igor's growl turned into a snarl and he made a move to charge at him.

He was halted by a bolt of magical energy that struck just in front of him, warning him not to advance further.

"Now, now Igor, we know you're eager, but we must all abide by the rules." Bardus tisked playfully. He then addressed the crowd again. "Those of you who wish to provide Igor with his weapon, throw them forth now!"

At once, a shower of metal weapons and tools rained down near their beloved champion, giving him a wide variety to choose from. Igor chuckled in glee, hopping around like an excited little kid as he examined the many instruments of death that littered the floor. Unsurprisingly, he chose a weapon most suited for a brute like him. A large mace. With a mighty heave, he lifted the spiked ball up into the air and brought it crashing down onto the stone floor in a booming crash that vibrated the ground beneath Igor's feet as well as his own. The crowd loved every minute of it.

"An excellent choice for our favorite champ. Now, those who would like to lend aid to Eob, feel free to show your support." Bardus said.

Immediately, he shifted his upper body diagonally to the left as a stone whistled past his head. Other similar objects cut through the air as Igor's supporters tried to land a hit on him, but he dodged them all with relative ease. Some weapons actually were thrown out to him as well, but the pickings was shoddy at best, his selection ranging from a thick sticks that were meant to be used as staffs to well worn and rusty shields. He found the best looking two of the bunch and slipped his arms into the leather straps and lifted the circular discs up to just above waist level. Some of the audience snickered at his choice.

"Heh, look at him, he's already scared. Two shields, hah, they won't last long against Igor."

"Ugh, I should've changed my bet. He might actually live past a minute with those."

"A smart choice, but I doubt it'll do him any good in the end."

Their commentary meant nothing to B03. He'd already started tuning them out. Soon Bardus would fulfill his duty as game master and the only person he would have to focus on would be Igor.

"Combatants!" He shouted. "Ready yourselves…" Igor let out another crude yell, pounding his weapon on the ground in what was probably meant to be an intimidation tactic. Too bad the effect was lost on him. "Fight!"

Not hesitating in the slightest, the big lug charged forward, his stride long as each clap against the stone brought his dangerous foe ever closer. The mace let out a high pitches screech as it's spikes dragged across the stone floor. He stood where he was, motionless, waiting for the moment when he was just about to strike. The mace quit its incessant whine, the blunt object letting out a low whistle as its owner raised it. Just as B03 wanted it.

He dashed forward, entering inside Igor's guard. Ducking as he advanced, feeling the air whip by him as the mace swung harmlessly overhead, he pulled back one of his arms and slammed the sharp circular edges of the shield behind the giant's kneecap. Igor's leg buckled and B003 raised his other shield overhead, absorbing the full weight of his opponent, his right knee shaking from the uneven distribution. It was only for a moment, however, as the monster teen's own momentum carried him over his shield, flopping hard on his back. A soft groan elicited from Igor's throat, but he didn't even give him the opportunity to rise. Quickly, B003 launched himself from his squatting position, flipping over sideways, his foot slamming down into Igor's chest, followed by a knee. He heard what little air the big oaf had left shoot out in a choked gasp as he raised his left shield up and brought it down diagonally towards his neck.

He stopped it hardly an inch before crushing Igor's windpipe.

There was silence in the arena. None of the animals in the crowd uttered a breath, clearly unable to comprehend what has just unfolded in front of their eyes. Their champion was beaten. Not even a half a minute had passed. No doubt they were expecting some long, drawn out battle from him, desperately trying to defend himself with his shields while Igor wailed on him. But, that wasn't how things worked in real life. A real fight almost never went over a minute, unless both parties were exceptionally skilled. Igor had relied on his brute strength alone to win his bouts. That had been his fatal flaw and his undoing.

"W-Well, um," Bardus stammered, clearing his throat to try and dismiss the obvious shock in his voice. "Igor is down and pinned. Eob is the victor." That announcement woke most of the audience from their trances. Suddenly, the crowd turned against their host, shouting all sorts of obscenities and complaints towards him.

"What?! The fight isn't over, it can't be!" One of the ponies shouted.

"I paid ten bits to see this?" Another cried.

"Ten bits, I just lost two hundred because of that little stunt. This is bullshit! The fight was rigged. It had to be." A third pony growled. "Make it official! Death to the loser!"

"Yeah. I didn't come all this way for nothing. I want to see some blood! Death! Death! Death!"

It wasn't long before the words of the few became the words of the many. Soon, the entire crowd was chanting for death to be dealt to the loser. Beneath him, he felt Igor's chest quiver. B003 had kept the shield pressed tightly against Igor's windpipe, the edge digging into his skin enough to drawn blood, but not puncture past the skin. A single movement would be all it would take to sever the connection between his lungs and his mouth.

Igor knew that. That's why his entire body was trembling underneath B003's knee, soft whimpering exiting from his quivering lips. He had no doubt that if the teen had been capable of speech, he would likely be begging for his life right now. Both to the crowd that had not all that long ago been his supporting and loving fans as well as to him, the person who held his fate at the end of a shield. B003 scoffed. How quickly these animal's loyalties changed. To think at one time, they had the gall to have called us the threat.

"Well?" Bardus prodded with a raised eyebrow. "What are you waiting for Eob? Finish it."

B003 listened with a tilted head, then turned his blank gaze back to where Igor's eyes were. The boy was now physically shaking and crying out in small, pleading squeals. If this was directed at Bardus or himself, he couldn't be sure, not that it really mattered. The crowd was getting anxious now, their yells and cries echoing all around them, all prompting death to their old champion. He shook his head. What pitiful creatures these animals were.

With a loud grunt, he lifted up his shield and bashed it hard against the side of Igor's head. He went silent. The ponies around him roared in approval, but this was short lived once one of them spotted that his chest still rose and fell, albeit faintly.

"Enough toying around Eob." Bardus commanded, clearly getting fed up with having to deal with his unruly patrons. "Kill him. Now!"

B003 lifted up his head to him. "No." He declared simply.

There was a pause for a moment, like Bardus couldn't believe that he'd just been stood up to. "Fine." He said, the all too familiar whine of destructive magic building up from his horn. "I'll do it myself!" He fired the magical beam off at Igor. He quickly leapt over, catching the bolt with one of his shields and flinging it back towards the floating pony, but not close enough to hit. Nonetheless, Bardus was furious. "How dare you?! You insolent human, I will see that you are beaten beyond recognition for this! Guards!"

Immediately, he heard both wooden gates creak up and twenty four sets of hooves stampeding towards him. He did not move, instead raising his shields up protectively.

This would likely not end well for him.

Hey guys. I know you all are probably getting tired of me posting new stories, but I was struck by inspiration after reading another fanfiction on the site called "Chains" by BookyBrony. Now, I'm not really a Brony or anything like that, heck I haven't even watched MLP before in my life, but after reading his story, the author in me couldn't help but try my own hand at it. Might be slower in updating this one because this is pretty much new territory for me, but I hope you all will enjoy regardless. Please check out this guy's story too if you haven't already.

On a side note, unfortunately, I haven't worked on the virtual novel all that much due to life, starting this story, and a few other things, so I apologize for the stale update. I do aim to get back on it soon.

Like I said, hope you guys enjoy and let me know if you think this is worth continuing. Until next time.