The Amphitheater of Anguish: Yggdras!

The sand of the Amphitheater had drunk more blood than water. I could feel it beneath my boots, that particular give of earth saturated with the dead.

Gurgthock’s voice boomed across the arena. “I was wondering when you’d show up! Having a past champion of the Ring of Blood here will be a huge draw! We’re gonna be rich, buddy! RICH!”

Same goblin, different killing floor.

“Here we are once again, ladies and gentlemen! The epic struggle between life and death in the Amphitheater of Anguish! For this round we have Vikstone versus the hulking jormungar, Yg… Yggd? Who comes up with these names?! Vikstone versus big worm!”

Yggdras erupted from the sand.

The jormungar’s bulk defied reason, an engine of chitin and muscle that moved fast. Its maw split wide, revealing rings of teeth slick with the remains of whatever had died here before us.

First charge. The ground shook. I planted my feet and brought the mace around in a defensive arc, the spikes catching the creature’s hide as it swept past. Blood welled from the gouge, steaming in the air.

“Corrode!” Gabe’s warning came a heartbeat before I felt it, acid eating through the joints of my armor, metal becoming brittle beneath the creature’s secretions. I pressed forward anyway. 

The jormungar’s head whipped around, jaws snapping for Deajavu flanking left. The rogue twisted away, both blades opening a furrow along its flank that sprayed ichor across the sand. Behind him, Briee’s arrows punched into the wound he’d made, driving deeper where the chitin was already cracked. Her cat harried the creature’s tail, keeping it from coiling.

My turn.

The weapon rose. Fell. The blade cratered chitin with a wet crunch that sang through my arms. The creature screamed and thrashed sideways. Its body caught Deajavu across the chest, sent him tumbling across the arena floor.

I drove forward, inside its guard, boots slipping in the gore slicking the sand.

Mardagan was there beside me, golden hammer blazing, the paladin’s strikes burning where they landed. Gabe’s light hammered down from behind, keeping us both on our feet through the acid and the thrashing.

The jormungar spasmed. Three smaller worms burst from its death throes, but they died faster than their progenitor.

Silence. Then the roar of the crowd.

“Vikstone has defeated Yg… Yggg-really big worm!” Gurgthock was already promoting the next bout.

I wiped blood from my eyes, and somewhere in the stands, gold changed hands.

Gurgthock was already announcing the next challenger in The Amphitheater of Anguish: Magnataur!