Gladiator

Secrises drew his blade as the portcullis was lifted. He was ready for whatever challenge Emperor Marcellus III would throw at him.

I'm the most famous gladiator in all of Calaria! He boasted silently. I can handle anything!

He stepped into the arena, the cheering crowd fueling him. He had more glory than anyone else in the kingdom, and could channel that power to defeat any foe.

The announcer's booming voice echoed through the arena. "Here we have the warrior, the glorious, the prosperous.... Secrises!"

Cheers echoed around the arena. Secrises puffed out his chest and lifted his sword and shield to show the crowd.

"And coming from the other gate is...." Secrises had a rough idea of who or what he would have to face. Normally gladiators only faced other humans, or rarely a lion or the like. But because Secrises had so much glory, he normally had to face some kind of powerful beast. "..... The petrifying Cockatrice!"

The gate on the other side of the arena lifted, and a large bipedal, seemingly flightless bird much bigger than Secrises emerged.

The hideous bird began to stalk toward Secrises, it didn't have many feathers left on it, and looked like a half-prepared dinner.

Before Secrises could react, the Cockatrice lunged at him. Its beak dived down toward his head, but he blocked it with his shield just in time.

He heard the crowd cheer, and a familiar rush of power ran through him, and he felt stronger once again. Glory!

The Cockatrice lifted a talon and ripped Secrises shield out of his hand. Sword of Isreth, I've underestimated this thing!

The crowd roared ever louder as the Cockatrice knocked Secrises to the ground as it spread its horrible shriveled wings.

He lifted his sword to block as it tried to claw him with a talon, and he felt that he was stronger, thanks to the glory. But it wasn't enough, and his sword went flying. The crowd gasped.

He lifted his right arm to defend himself as the Cockatrice sent down its beck. It pierced through his armor, reaching right down to his skin.

He tried to steady himself with it, but to his dismay he couldn't move it, and it felt as heavy as stone.

What was that thing the announcer had said about the Cockatrice? Petrifying? Maybe he should have taken heed of what that announcer said for once.

Though he was strong, he couldn't lift his stone arm. As the Cockatrice lifted its beak once more to strike, he realized how strong this beast was.

But I have the entire City of Calaria on my side, and more glory than this vile vermin will ever have!

As Secrises took a deep breath straight from his lungs, time seemed to slow down. He felt a rush of primal and fiery energy liberate his arm and power it like a bolt of lightning.

As the Cockatrice's face lurched toward his stomach, Secrises lifted his stone arm and smashed the Cockatrice right in the face before it could pierce him.

It staggered on its long and spindly legs, giving Secrises the time to get to his feet and grab his fallen sword and shield.

The crowd cheered and sighed and shouted in relief that their favorite gladiator was still around. Secrises gave his usual cocky smile to show that he was still okay.

Then he noticed the crowd began waving their arms and shouting in fear. What's happening?

Then a young woman from the crowd shouted: "Secrises, Look behind you!"

Secrises turned around, too late, to see the Cockatrice right behind him, lifting one of its talons and slashing Secrises right through his armor into his stomach.

He shouted in agony, dropping to one knee. The hit must have taken a lot of his confidence from the crowd and his glory, because his right arm felt solid and like a weight once more, and it fell limp.

He felt his stomach begin to feel heavy, almost as if he had eaten a rock.

Then Secrises felt a feeling he never felt: real fear. The Cockatrice must have been turning his insides to stone. This would be something that couldn't just be healed by the royal Cuvenders.

As the Cockatrice lifted its beak one more time, the crowd gasped and cried. The guards were even keeping some of Secrises's most devoted fans from entering the arena and trying to help him themselves.

Right before the beast's beck hit Secrises one last time, the gladiator prayed to Isreth and her fellow far away lands one last time, and let out a soft and defeated chuckle. The unstoppable Secresis had been defeated.

Secrises fluttered open his eyes, his ears being flooded with cheers and cries and shouts. He seemed to be lying on sandy ground, and his muscles, specifically his right arm and his chest felt heavy and limp.

The Cockatrice had backed away, stalking around the clearing. It must think I'm dead! And come to think of it, how am I alive? Then he remembered the words of Ballin. How if someone had an overpowering surge of glory, even if just for a moment, they could conquer anything. Did that count death?

I'm the most glorious person in all of Calaria!

He felt his pain, stiffness, and petrification ebb away as the crowd cheered him on as they realized their idol was alive.

He heard their cheers and screams of joy and delight as he got to his feet and picked up his sword and shield.

The Cockatrice turned toward, letting out a shrill screech that echoed through the arena as it realized he was somehow alive.

To defeat this beast, he would need all the glory he could get. He already had more than he ever had, but both he and the emperor had underestimated this foul foul.

Think of something to make the crowd even happier.... Come on Secrises.

"It's gonna be fried chicken for dinner tonight!" And with that statement Secrises leapt toward the Cockatrice.

It squealed and tried to get him with its beak, but thanks to all of his glory Secrises was quicker. He bashed his shield into the Cockatrice's face, making it lose its footing and taking a step back a couple of paces.

He slashed its bloated yet thin stomach with his sword, which seemed to be infused with some kind of glory magic.

It stepped back, a deep cut Secrises's sword had left dripping some kind of black blood onto the ground.

Secrises noticed that his sword was now glowing a bright orange. I must have a lot of glory to be able to do that!

The Cockatrice lunged toward him without warning, but somehow Secrises knew exactly the way to dodge its talons.

It struck out again, this time with its beck, this time on mark.

Secrises braced himself for the familiar feeling of a part of his body turning to stone, but realized its beck just bounced off of his armor.

He glanced down to his spectral armor surrounding him. Sword of Isreth, Is this actually happening?

While the Cockatrice was still in front of him, he struck out with his sword. It tried to block the attack with one of its frail and raggedy wings, but Secrises's sword slashed right through it.

The beast screeched in pain, opening its wings.

Secrises didn't miss the opportunity to strike. He stabbed the glowing orange sword into the Cockatrice's heart.

It let out one last shrill cry, and fell to the ground, dead.

Secrises didn't move for a moment. He dropped his sword and shield to the ground. He still couldn't believe this.

Everything was silent for a moment. Then he heard the familiar cheering crowd.