<em><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Enter Alticus</strong></span></em><br/><br/>(http://singlarity.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/gannicus.jpg)<br/><br/><em><strong>Blood</strong></em>....It was warm and hot to the touch. A lone drop our to splashed onto the handsome face of the solitary figure standing behind one of the gates to the arena, his head aligned with a little hole to watch the games, the blood of a defeated enemy from a rival training camp being defeated by a warrior that he had personally trained, the lone slave master was watching the opening games of the match: the new blood and those fated to die at Gladium were being run through in fights against more seasoned veterans of the arena: No one expected them to last very long and in the last few matches there was not a single victory by these new, damned souls and demons forced to fight on the sands of Hades arena. With a fountain of blood spurting from a decapitated corpse, showering the area in blood as the trained gladiator removed the head of his opponent with one powerful sweep of his wicked axe, the roar of the crowd signaled another opponent killed, the sacred sands of the arena fed and the start of the next match. Standing alone behind the barred gates of the left entrance of the large Arena, the lone slave master was not garbed for his current job but for his old one and soon it would be his boots that graced the bloody sands.  Before he had been raised to his honored position, he had fed the hungry blood stained sands of the Arena for untold, unrecorded years. Now, on the very honored occasion, one that was bringing the princes themselves down to the arena, his request to return to the sand was finally granted though only for a match worthy of the Princes themselves, a gory spectacle that could thrill the crowds and impress any prince or other demon that was worthy of actually impressing.<br/><br/>The magically sealed gates of Hades Arena which barred any from entering or exiting without the express wish of the Arena master finally opened as the man rose to his full height in the polvunus, or grand balcony, of the Arena to address the crowded mob filling the seats of the Arena, his very presence causing a hushed silence to befall the entire arena. With the gate finally opened, the lone figure behind them slowly grabbed the twin swords sitting against the wall, taking each of their leather bound wooden handles in his callused, swordsman hands and carried them with an expert's ease as he walked slowly out onto the hallowed sands of the arena, each step in the sand reminding him of past days and past glories as he emerged from the darkness of the slave pit and into the grandiose light that illuminated Hades Arena. As he emerged from the shadow's the Arena masters voice loudly begun to vibrate off the massive walls as his voice filled the arena "Ladies and Gentlemen, Honored guests and those out amongst the mob!" The silver tongued Arena Master said grabbing the attention of all "Today, in these honored games for our esteemed guests we bear witness to a rare feat indeed!" Ever the dramatist the Arena Master knew how to be a good orator, it did come with the job after all "Alticus Vorenus" the Arena Master gave name to the lone figure entering the sands "Makes a return to the Arena for the first time in 200 years since his last exhibition, come once more to wet the sands with an offering of blood dedicated to those who these games are for"  the Arena Master said as his voice raised to be heard of the softly raising chant of Alticus, Alticus, Alticus that begun to rise from the blood thirsty mob of devils viewing the games "A man who needs no introduction, a warrior skilled enough to walk into the arena completely unarmored and still undefeated"  the words responded to by Alticus in the center of the arena by raising both swords into the air, his arms coming out wide to each side as he held the blades high into the air, making a sort of Y with his body, he showed off his completely bare and well toned chest to the crowd as a thunderous roar filled the arena "It is a pleasure to introduce the self proclaimed Pagan God of War, The Terror of Arena and the Scourge of Slave Pits.....<strong>ALTICUS</strong>" The Arena Master said with a sweeping gesture to the sword wielding figure in the center of the arena,being surrounded with a ear splitting roar from the crowd.<br/><br/>"And who would dare step into the Arena against such a foe?" The Arena Master said as the cheer finally died down and everyone anxiously awaited for him to speak "Four craven dogs, worthless and damned creatures hardly worthy of even stepping feet on the sands of the arena, sacrifices of blood given to our honored guests!" The Arena said with a bit of enthusiasm as he pointed to the gate on the right side of the arena, four figures walking slowly in a little box like formation with just simple longswords, rags and a slave collars around their neck: they were dirty, ratty looking men who walked slowly out towards the center of the arena. Alticus, still a little disappointed he didn't have a worth challenge for his once in a lifetime return to the arena, regarded the fresh looking slaves like shit on the bottom of his saddle: smelly and annoying. Having already lowered his swords, Alticus stood neutrally with both swords down at his sides, the sharpened tips of each blade resting near the ground as he presented the flats of the weapons to his approaching opponents, his wrists flared back as he presented his palms, he looked like a coiled snaked waiting to strike though it was hardly the time for that as they finally stepped into the middle of the arena. Finally, with the stage set the Arena Master spoke "This is a no quarter given, no mercy shown match with only one victor! Let the games begin!" The Arena Master called as he finished the announcement and then signaled the match to begin, a roar from the crowd issuing as they eagerly awaited to see the promised blood. Alticus stood passive as he noticed that each of his four opponents seemed firmly rooted in the ground, unsure how or where to attack. In a taunting, unexpected gesture the undefeated warrior spun the blades in a circle before solidly slamming their points into the sand at his feet, burying the tip six inches into the ground, the blades quivering as his hands released the hilt of each blade and he left them stuck in the stand,  coming back to his neutral stance as he left his completely bare chest as a wide open target to the men, his hands balling into fists as they came to rest at his sides "Well come on then"  he called mockingly, a roguish little grin splitting his lips as his keen eyes watched the four men about to die.<br/><br/>Looking a little wide eyed at the now unarmed opponent, they were not sure what to think: though Alticus didn't give them any time to either as he attacked in a flurry of blinding fast movement. They had hardly registered what was happening when the unarmed warrior crossed the gap between them in the blink of an eye and approached the first man with deadly purpose, a solid right hook catching him in the side of the face with a clean shot, the force of the blow sending the man staggering back with a sickening snap as his jaw popped out of place and shattered from the impact. A rude awakening for his four opponents they all suddenly moved into their attack postures as they realized just how life and death their situation was. Right as his fist sent the first enemy sprawling, a sharp swords came swinging right at him, the lightning fast Alticus contorted his body back to dodge the blade as it clove the air in front of him harmless. Hardly given a chance to recover, the unarmed warrior dove forward into a roll as blade thrust through the air where his torso had been a minute ago, the quick and agile Alticus coming smoothly out of the roll and onto his feet as ducked low under a broad sweep for his head, weaving under the fatal strike as he stepped past the man. A series of quick and acrobatic movements sending him weaving, spinning, diving and rolling out of harms way as Alticus worked his opponents around the sands like a little puppet, his grin was full blown when he finally struck back, coming out of a roll into a powerful kick: Both legs fully extended, his feet pressed together as he hit the man straight as an arrow to the chest, sending him spiraling backwards as Alticus used the backwards momentum to tuck his head down and come gracefully out of a little back flip in a crouch between his pair of swords sticking into the ground, eager hands gripping them as he drew them from the ground: both blades rising quickly to catch two downward strikes from his opponents as they bayed for his blood with defiant little roars, their full strength coming to bear as metal clanged loudly in protest.<br/><br/>An animal-like growl issuing from his lips as both of his swords pressed in further towards him, the powerful muscles in his arms flexing as he held both the blades at bay, his growl became a roar as Alticus used his bent legs for more force to press the blades up, the strength of his entire body to push both blades up and back with one explosive move as it sent both men stumbling back. His left leg striking out in a forceful front kick that landed right on the left man's chest to send him flying back, Alticus moved with the deadly grace of a snake as both blade lashed out at the man on his right: the blade in his left hand slashing down across the man's forward leg, the blade cleanly hamstringing him at it fileted skin and muscle with its razor sharp edge, his right blade slashing viciously across the man's exposed chest in a broad diagonal sweep that left a brutal cut from his shoulder down to his waist as the blade sunk almost a foot in, blood from severed arteries and veins spraying in a wide arc as the man fell to the sand in a heap of blood and guts as his almost severed leg gave way under his weight and he crashed into the sand, his blood watering the sacred soil. Spinning around with a dancers grace as he shifted easily on the sand, the sword in his right hand batted the half ass thrusts towards his chest from one of the recovered opponents, forcing the blade out of his path smoothly as the man overstepped and came off balance, Alticus pivoting around as he finished his spin to bring the blade in his left hand in a horizontal arc that passed the blade cleanly through the back of the man's neck and then out the front as the sharp sword cleaved muscle and bone, sent some of it flying out with the rest of the bloody gore as a head slowly rolled off its detached body, the headless body still responding to previous signals from the brain as it took another step and then its forward brought it down to the sand in a thump as it went limp and lifeless, the head plopping down into the sand a few feet behind it.  Nestled in its own little pool of blood that stained the earth beneath it.<br/><br/>Dark blood was splattered across his face and chest, the swordsman wearing it with pride as he turned to face his last to opponents, flourishing his dual swords a little bit as blood drops flew off the steel blades that were thoroughly drenched in the warm crimson fluid. Bring his swords down to his sides with the blades pointing towards the ground as he slowly circled around the remaining two enemies who unconsciously moved closer together as they raised their swords up in a defensive manner:  he was the predator and they were nothing but frightened prey, a fact not lost upon the slave master as a devilish smirk slowly curled his lips as his emerald eyes flashed with dark intent. His slow circling coming to pause, there was hardly a split second before Alticus sprung off his rear foot as it sunk into the sand a little as he propelled forward at breakneck speed, a flashing blur as he brought both of his blades up in an X before him. Crossing the ground in a few powerful strides, right before contact with his opponent, Alticus sprung forward off his front foot as he hurdled himself towards his opponent, both swords flashing out dangerously as his left blade clashed loudly with the pitiful strike of his opponent, the blade in his right dashing out in a quick thrust like a scorpion's sting,the blade flat as the tip of the blade hit the man dead on in the throat, the razor sharp tip passing cleanly through the throat and out the back as the blade sunk a foot or more into the man neck, the foot of steel sticking out the back of the man's neck soaked in his blood. With very little time to savor such a kill, Alticus swung his sword wide out to the side as the blade cleaved through the muscle, the carotid and jugular as it came out the side of his neck, more than half his head no longer attached as it was held by a little bit of muscle and skin, the head flopping to touch the shoulder of its own body as it fell to the ground in a geyser of blood, heart still pumping blood out of the carotid.  The body of his teammate hardly on its way to ground when the last of the enemy struck out towards Alticus, the expert swordsman casually bat aside the weak strike, sending the man's hand out wide as Alticus took a step closer and brought his right blade down across the man's legs, right above the knee caps as he severed the muscle with ease, dropping the man down to his knees in the sand before him. His leg coming out in a powerful kick to the man's hand as he tried to swing his sword around in one last act of desperation,breaking his grip on the weapon and sending it flying away, Alticus placed both blades on the man neck, one on each side in a an X before him as sharpened steel resting against dirty unwashed skin. The light of the arena casting a shadow over his unarmed opponent as Alticus stood over him, Alticus offered the defeated man a slight nod of the head though the mocking, roguish grin on his face didn't convey well with the gesture of respect before Alticus<strong>ROARED</strong>loudly, his voice threatening to split the sky as he ripped both blades out in opposite arcs as the X straightened out, steel blades beheading the man at two different points as it ripped his head from his body, the head landing in the side behind the headless body as it limply fell to the ground in front of its killer. Raising his blood stained sword into the air as they touched above his head in an X,  Alticus said nothing as a joyous uproar came from the stands as the devil filled mob roared its approval, chanting the name<strong>ALTICUS</strong>as the slave master tossed his swords down in the sand and walked with a little bit of swagger,  grin wide as he exited the arena and walked back into the slave pits, ready to don his mantle of Trainer, Teacher and Master once more.