A/N: Yes, finaly a long one! I will try making them longer for you, but it is not guaranteed! Review as always!
Jax was eyeing the crowd right now. Well, this was his only job right now, knowing his position. So, he was eyeing the huge crowd in front of the coliseum, wich was mainly nobles and some average people. The building they were standing was huge, capable of containing a crowd double the size of the one waiting in front of it. The caravan turned and passed around the coliseum, then entered through a backdoor. There, about a hundred thugs opened one cage per thug and led the slaves out in a giant hall, wich was under the arena, from Jax' calculations. After they got him out of his cage, he was led towards a room out of the hall. He felt heat there, and saw it. A metal stick with horrid sign at the end was stuck into a fire, where it had become red from the heat. They pushed him on a table and held him really tight. He already knew what they would do to him. Jax was going to be marked as property. He was property of whoever owned the caravan, so he was now nothing more than an item in the eyes of that man, money - maker. Jax felt the heat of the metal stick close to his left arm. Then the agonizing touch of the metal, it blazed his skin. He wanted to scream, but put himself against it. Only a wince escaped his lips, but he felt his skin melting under the 'loving' touch of the metal. When the stick was removed and put back in the fire, he was thrown into a barrel of water, so the mark cools down. Steam left his arm, he felt so refreshed at that point. Then, he was rudely pulled out and thrown into the hall. There he rested a few seconds before lifting his gaze. Those who passed through this before him were staring at the markings or covered them with cloth and bandages. Jax looked at the scar, to examine it and was surprised to find the delicate work that was left. Yes, it was painful, yet the sign was a work of art. A big 'G' with a small wolf on the lower half. He stood up and walked to the other slaves and waited for everyone to be prepared, for he was ordered so. When everyone was marked, the guards, no, thugs stood behind them, the noble man came. He had the mark, big 'G' with a wolf in the lower half, but it was only a necklace. His clothes were red, his hands covered with rings. He stood in front of his belongings and sighed. The thugs immediately slammed the legs of the slaves with their whips. That meant kneel. Everyone except Jax kneeled. Although he earned about ten hits with the whip, he didn't kneel. The noble man looked at him, raw interest uncovered in his eyes. Jax just stood there, stoic as he was and looked back.
"Kneel before your master, slave!" Said the thug behind him and slammed the whip with full power. Jax winced, but stood. The thug sighed and pushed him to his knees. The noble looked at the scene with the same amazement as the other slaves. He nodded to all his belongings and coughed.
"Welcome, to Noxus! Here, you are nothing! Just my property. And as my property, you shall call me 'master', although I will tell you my name. I am Grom Wolfhowl. Your owner. You are here to fight for me on the Coloseum and bring me money. I will feed you and keep you in shape good enough to be able to fight. You are money - makers. Nothing more. And I will not tolerate self obedience. You obey me, not yourselves. Now, you will be given a plate of food and after you eat it, the show will begin. Be sure to survive." He said, smirking evilly. When Grom Wolfhowl turned to walk out, Jax smirked too. An arena? Well, hell it would be, he has spend more than ten years on the arena! How would this one be different to him? Fight to the death. Simple. The thugs led the slaves to a huge table with more than a hundred seats and made them sit. Randrek sat next to him. They were given the 'Dish'. Jax tasted it and coughed. It tasted like puke, maybe it was even puke. He just pushed it aside, ignoring the stares the others gave him.
"You must eat, otherwise they will think you are trying to kill yourself or to be unable to fight, wich will lead to the whip." His friend whispered between a few bites of the strange food. Everyone was eating, with hands, slurping it or licking it. Everyone with Jax as the only exception. One fat man looked at him and coughed.
"Are you going to eat it?" He asked, his stare shot directly at the food. Jax just pushed it towards him and the fat person devoured it with the speed Cho'Gath devoured yordles. After ten minutes of eating, the guards led them to a hall wich was like an armory and ordered the slaves to arm themselves. Everyone started taking the biggest weapons and heaviest armor, thinking it will ease their survival. Jax was only examining the exit. A huge door, composed from metal sticks. He smiled under his hood. Randrek walked next to him and coughed to attract the attention of the grandmaster at arms. Luckly, it did. But it also attracted the attention of many others.
"Umm... You have to arm yourself. Do you think we stand a chance? Especially unarmed? They have carts with horses, bows, spears, shields! And skills, most importantly. We have nothing like this. So at least some armor can save us!" He said, pointing at the weapons and armor. Jax chuckled and walked in front of the items. He examined them carefully, calculating the weight and protection they could provide. He took only two similar shoulder pads and a helm. Didn't take a weapon. Then, he armed himself, actually covered his head with the helm and put the pads on his shoulders. Everyone in the room looked at him surprised and quite amazed. Outside were already heard the cheers of the viewers. The thugs pushed slaves forth, to the door and retreated. The gate slowly lifted, revealing a circular arena covered with blood - stained sand. Jax was the first to walk out, willingly. The others only watched at the giant crowd at the seats four feet over their heads. The viewers were surely stunned at the appearance of one slave who willingly walked out, unarmed. The others were pushed out by the thugs and the gate closed. Jax watched at the opposing gate, wich was just opening. His legs twitched and he increased the distance between him and the others. Splitting up would make it harder for the enemies to kill them faster. Jax then focused on the crowd, willing to see a familiar face. Darius and Swain, he recognized. They were in a separated chamber wich had a plate roof to protect them from the sun. Swain was in royal armor, wich meant he was 'king of Valoran', while Darius had a pretty decorated armor and a new axe. He was the general, Jax thought. They were also looking at him, but no one would be able to recognize him in such amount of clothing, except the ladies he slept with. Randrek followed, surely wanted to stick up with him. Jax didn't have anything against it. The other man had a plate armor, a shield and a long spear, all in a pretty bad condition, while the grandmaster at arms chose the best conditioned items in store. There, the gate opened. And ten carts with spearmen and archers shot out, yelling and laughing. The crowd exploded. Jax was in the right corner of the arena, followed by Randrek who was only two feet away. The others were stacked up and tried to make a formation to protect themselves. Jax knew that the bowmen would kill a lot, then those with spears would ruthlessly butcher what was left. So he separated. Nine of the carts headed for the big group, but the last one noticed that he was unarmed. He smiled under the helm. That would be fun. They charged. Jax prepared. The archer shot an arrow in his direction, he simply dodged it. A clumsy shot, compared to Varus and Ashe. The grandmaster started running, not away, but right against the cart. None expected this so he had the element of surprise. Jax was about three hundred yards away when his legs twitched and his muscles shrank, only to shoot him in the air, his body flying on speeds unknown to any moving invention, right against the spearman who was driving the cart. He heard the scream of the man and then clashed with tremendous force into his body, throwing him off of the cart, the horses loosing their lead. Jax tried to infuse mana into his hand but was weak, the bigger portion of his soul missing made it impossible for him to do such a thing so he just slammed his fist into the spearman's stomach, a scream of pain escaping the man's mouth. Jax then formed a mace of both his hands and slammed them with full strength against the man's chest. Although it was covered by plate, he still felt bones cracking. The man screamed in agony. The grandmaster felt the bow stretching and only a second before the arrow imbued itself into Jax' back he moved aside, letting the shot finish the man underneath him. After that he ran to the center of the arena, attracting all attention to himself. The remaining carts raced towards him, while the slaves who survived started at him. He lifted his arms in the air and shouted.
"Who wants a piece of the champ?" There was a dead slave next to him, a huge two handed axe in his hands. All the carts have already surrounded Jax, his smile growing. This wasn't the league. But... It was still hard for him to do it. His hand wrapped around the axe, his whole being trembling in ecstasy when he felt the crude work, but the strength of the weapon. All spears were pointed at him, while the archers were tauting their bows' string. Jax gave a laugh and leaped. After five seconds exactly he was in the center of the arena, but around him were the butchered corpses of all the archers and spearmen. He laughed again. This was great! A weapon after so long... Jax then looked around. He realised the crowd was really silent. Even if a fly buzzed, the whole area would hear it. Then, out of nothing, the figure of Reginald Ashram struck his mind. The grip on his weapon weakened. This... Was wrong... But he was doing it for his safety. This... Wasn't wrong. Self protection, that wasn't sin, that wasn't wrong. Jax placed the axe behind his back and made the sign for peace. Index and middle finger up, others lowered. Then, he left, the gate to the insides of the Coloseum expecting him. He was now known.