Chapter One: The Weak

"Urgh!" Her back slammed into the colosseum wall. Her gaze swam infront of her as she tried to remain conscious. Two figures crouched into her line of sight, their voices warbled by her concussion. She could feel the crimson liquid run down her neck, the iron tang touch her lips. Her hands dig into the sandstone wall for purchase as she struggles to stay upright, but as a white warmth envelopes her, a blackness falls on her vision and she is lost to the void.

"I can't believe she lost... " A male voice mutters.

"Well it was bound to happen sooner or later, she needs to take on her Yin" the female responds.

"You cant blame her after what happened to her-"

"Ni!" An excited face leans far too close as crystal eyes flicker open, dark brows furrow as she tries to place herself.

"I lost?" her voice seems far away as her ears ring and the overwhelming smell of disenfectant burns her nose.

"Yes! And quite spectacularly I must say! I thought for sure you were dead when Annie slammed you into that wall!" The goggle wearing woman all but shouted in excitement as she threw you into a seated position to examine the back of your head.

"Hange!" Moblit scalded, handing Agni pain medicine.

"Oh she's fine! You're a tough cookie, right, Ni!? " Hange slaps her back, almost forcing the small pill back out of her throat. Coughing, she nods as Hange finishes healing the damage.

Agni could hear noise coming from the halls as people spoke loudly of their judgment on her recent match.

"How could a circle mages' daughter lose?"

"She's an embarrassment to her line."

"Haven't you heard? She still hasn't taken a Yin!"

"Probably thinks she's too good to need one"

"Isn't she almost twenty? Maybe it ran off and left her, just like -"

A firm hand on her shoulder brought her focus back into the room. "Don't listen to them, they don't even know you." Agni frowns at Hange's tight smile before the woman grabs a brooding Moblit giving her the privacy to change. Taking a brush from her worn leather satchel, she flings her wild red curls into a pony tail and quickly changes into her usual overly large shirt, and black leather bottoms. Standing from the the cot her heeled boots clack against floor as she makes her leave but, when she catches the frown in a full length mirror, she falters.

She saw the looks on their faces, even as they try to hide it. She'll never become strong like her father if she doesn't have her Yin. Most Yin find them in their teens, some even in childhood. It wasn't that Agni didn't want her Yin, she knew that even as strong as she was, she'd never be accepted into the circle until she had hers, it was strange that he or she still hadn't made an appearance. See, when a mage becomes of age (usually around 10yrs old) their particular magic awakens inside another, be that a fairy, werewolf, vampire or, one of the many other supernatural beings. That other is called a Yin. Once awakened, the Yin seeks out its Mage to strengthen the bond, that bond allows both Yin and Mage to become stronger as their magic flows between them. Should the mage die, the bond is severed and its power fades until the Yin becomes a vacant, a powerless being that for some reasons unknown, usually dies soon after. It was practically unheard of for a Yin to not come for its mage, they're naturally drawn in, like that of the great ribbons of fate, yet Agni's continues to be a no show.

'I've waited long enough for this Yin, if it won't come to me? Fine. I'll just have to go and get it myself'. She nods to her reflection, watching as the fabric of her cloak settles itself on her shoulders before quickly joining her friends out in the hall.

"It smells like shit in here, " A short statured man grumbles, his dull grey eyes survey a dank changing room and the muscle guarding the doors. He waits for his match to start, picking lint off his greying shirt and brown waist jacket while tapping a knee high boot impatiently.

"Ever heard of a mop?" the man shifts his foot away from the unsanitary breifs by his feet staring at the questionable brown stain on the tiled floor.

"Or Bleach?"

"Shut it, street rat." the bald muscle sneers before going back to pretending he doesn't exist, the shorter clicks his tongue but makes no further comments.

After an age of waiting, the door to his right swings open and a much shorter red faced man rushes into the room, his round stomach bouncing as it peaks through the holes in his shirt. Not even the overly large moth eaten cloak could hide that man's love of food and alcohol as he heaved like he'd ran a marathon. "Boss ain't ere, but ya betta make 'im lotsa money Levi or i' ll have ta fuck ya up good."

Levi kept his eyes to the floor and his mouth firmly shut, he knew all too well what a mage could do to him should it take their fancy.

"Oi! ya fuckin' listenin' Street rat?! Ya bes' not make me angry, at least ten need to go down or ya ain't eatin this week, we clear? " His shrill voice made even the guards wince.

Standing and dusting off his baggy black trousers, Levi stalks his way to the stage door giving a quick "yeah", as well as shooting the bald guard a dark look before yanking it open and walking out.

Hundreds of lights beat down onto him as he prowls into the ring, the yellow bulbs making his skin look paler and more sickly than usual. He stares at the line of men preparing to take him on, a sense of calm coming over him. He'll take them all on, because that's what he's here for. It's what he's good at. They always bet against him, no one expects a skinny runt like him to be able to take on these large burly men and win. As always, he'll be the one to prove them wrong. But as the bell rings and fists begin to fly, no one notices the hooded figure with eyes trained on the small fighter with great interest.

Levi's knuckles throb as the 8th man falls, the behemoth of a man unconscious before he'd even hit the mat. Numerous broken bones and pounding heads awaited the fallen but even as Levi's fatigued muscles burned and screamed at him to stop, he kept going. He HAD to keep going, he couldn't find out what would happen should he fail to meet that fat mans quota.

'Two more' he chanted in his head as the next man cambered into the ring 'two more.'

Both men entered their stance when a finely dressed man held his hand up. 'Clearly the owner,' Levi thought bitterly looking at the prestine threads and silently marvelled how everyone stood to attention for this one man.

"It seems one on one is not enough of a challenge for this young man, " 'What?' "Let all the remaining contestants take him on at once. Let's make this fight truly interesting. "

The tall grey man waves his hands and the crowds go into a frenzy. Throwing food, drink, and anything else they can get a grasp on towards the ring in their excitement. A sea of hands grasping wads of cash eagerly waving in the air to place new bets.

Air puffed like smoke out of his mouth as he turns his attention towards his combatants, each one of their foot falls loud and heavy thumps on the squared circle as they approach. It was only when all four massive men stood in front of him, arrogant smirks of an already won victory that Levi realised, he wouldn't be making his quota.

" Fuck." Levi got into stance but quickly had to screw his eyes shut as the world began to spin. He hears the bell ring, but as he goes to move, his brain fogs causing his panic to rise. Then, almost like a contradiction, his heart begins to slow rather than speed up, the fog clears, and a creeping warmth consumes him, almost as though someone held him safe in their arms.

When he opens his eyes again, he's stunned to see a silent hooded figure not much taller than himself, standing in front of him with a black glove extended towards his four challengers, the tips of their fingers glowing red.

'Mage' he thinks, now in confusion as he watches the red glow brighter when one of the four attempts to advance.

"I would not advise that, if I were you" A soft but firm voice announces as the brave fellow takes another step.

"HOW DARE YOU." The owner stands and advances on the hooded woman with the fat man trailing behind him sprouting obscenities. "Just what do you think you're doing little girl?! How did you get in here? I will have you forcefully removed this instance!". At his yell more men begin to move towards the stage. The girl doesn't even flinch when the pair are surrounded by much larger men than herself.

" I will be leaving with, this man, " she thumbs at the ebony haired man behind her, " and then you can continue your silly little game if you so please. "

Not surprisingly, both men are angered by her calm response.

"Do ya understand the situation you're in girl?! Tha' man's property! Do ya really think ya can just walk out of 'ere with 'im?!" The short man's belly wobbles almost comically with his anger.

"Yes." A simple word that held so much more, this wasn't an answer to his question but more as though she was stating a fact, a promise to the man stood behind her. She was walking out of here with Levi in tow, and that was that.

"Why ya, fucking insolent little b-"

"So, you think you can take on two mages as well as a room full of fighters? I must say young lady, I like your spunk, but today? Today is the day you learn why women serve the men and not the other way around. " The owner sneers and the wooden stands behind the pair begins to float. Levi felt more unease as he realized that this was about to be a fight of mages, and he had no place what so ever in this fight. All he could think about was that she would lose, and he would be punished.

" Oi, you won't win this princess, walk away. " he spoke in a rushed whisper trying to stop her foolishness. Who the hell was this chick anyway? And what did she want with him? She must know she's heavily outnumbered?!

"Do not consern yourself, this matter will be concluded with haste." she spoke to him and for some unknown reason, he felt himself becoming calmer like his body instinctively trusted her. He was about to question her when the furniture came flying at them from all directions, and at almost impossible speeds but, as soon as they came within six feet of the pair, flames leaped up from ground obliterating the inanimate objects. Not even Ash remained as the fire died down. Levi stood unconsciously closer to the girl staring at where the flames had been.

"An elemental mage! J-just who are you?!" The owner was clearly rattled as his attack didn't even faze the girl waving a shaking finger in her direction.

A dainty hand lowers the black scaled hood, revealing long wild red curls that seemed to have a life of their own. Fly aways moved to the power that exuded from its owner. Both mages staggered back, the owner of this sorry establishment taking a knee to the floor dragging the other down with him, as their heads bowed, which left Levi even more confused than before.

"I wasn't aware it was you lady Versuvis, please forgive us." But the girl said nothing as she turned and made her way towards the exit, the crowds parting like the sea. She paused at the entrance and looked at the lone man standing.

"Are you not coming?" she inquiries, eye brow raised at his feet that remained planted. Hastily, on shaking limbs he clambers down from the stage and walks through the door she holds open.