Before the sun was up, I was awake and pacing my cell energetically. Used to getting up and hunting, building, even just walking around the village, I could feel the energy of habit. As it got brighter and brighter out, more and more people stirred around me, and eventually a man with long black hair stalked down the aisle and stopped in front of my cell. "Newbie. You'll begin your training today." And with that he waved for a guard to open the cell gate.

I waited in the center of my cell, worried. What would training be like? The other man turned and waved for me to follow, and I did, figuring something along the lines that training would be less painful that punishment. When we climbed the stairs out of the Gladiator's cells and stepped into the open air first floor of the school, I knew it was worth getting the fresh air, even if back was broken. When the raven-haired man began to speak, I realized training wasn't going to be as bad as I'd thought.

"This is the Kaiba Ludi, the Kaiba Gladiatorial School. Your Ianista is Master Kaiba. This means you fight for Master Kaiba, Master Kaiba and the beneficiaries pay you for a professional fight, and that if you live long enough to earn your freedom, he will likely employ you. I'm going to be your trainer until you are my equal, and you may call me Devlin. Any questions yet?"

"Live long enough to earn my freedom?" I'd picked up on that one as soon as it left 'Devlin's' mouth, and I'd been wondering about it for the rest of the time he spoke. With an almost dangerous amount of hope, I waited impatiently for the other's response.

"Your freedom can be won in a minimum of three years, if you live that long and fight well enough to earn Ianista Kaiba money, yes. If you live and fight victoriously for five years, the Emperor himself will free you and employ you. For example, a boy named Yugi is a master strategist, and a gladiator here. Emperor Yami has expressed an interest, and Yugi will likely be freed after his next major fight, if he wins again."

I nodded, storing that information away. Survive long enough, gain favor and be freed. It sounded easy enough. After all, fighting was common for me. Unless I was pitted against an absolutely impossible number of opponents, I should be able to handle it.

Devlin continued to tell me about the school, and I was surprised at the fact that the gladiators were actually treated better than normal non-citizens. We'd only fight three or four times a year, were fed three times a day no matter what, and were allowed to have the riches and prizes we won in victorious fights. Devlin went on to talk about the types of weapons and armor we would get to use, but none of them caught my eye. Maybe I could convince them to let me use something I've fought with before.

When he got quiet, I realized that we stood on a small balcony that overlooked the training grounds. Casting a curious look at him and down at the grounds, I noticed a few pairing off and beginning to fight. "Masters Kaiba don't buy many new slaves, and they've never had a real failure. You obviously impressed Mister Mokuba, even if Master Kaiba don't think the same. You fought a pack of bloodhounds, barehanded?"

"I had an eating knife."

"Sir. Always say sir to a superior such as myself."

I made a face, and wondered what punishment I'd get if I broke his arrogant nose.

"Yes, sir."

Sorry it took so long to update, it'll take longer and longer as I get into the plot. I hope to have the next chapter to you next Friday. Since I type these in study hall, it's generally going to take that long. And yes, I know my chapters are short. If I didn't do that, I'd take two weeks, and they'd be bad quality since I have ADD and tend to get distracted easily.

FB