Hyrule Adventures 2

The air was filled with absolute excitement! There were stands set up all around the entrance to the arena, and people crowded around to get inside. The day was absolutely perfect, and Dogura had never seen New Peaktop so alive! Of course he'd only been to New Peaktop a couple of times in his life, but it didn't take away from the fact that the crowd was massive. Dogura and Shiro walked towards the entrance, both of them with opposite expressions on their face. Dogura was itching to fight- the life in his eyes was more vibrant than it had been a long time. Shiro's face on the other hand, sagged at the sides.

"You could at least pretend to be excited." Dogura remarked, not taking his eyes off of the massive structure. It truly was marvelous- elegant in so many ways, and yet daunting in others.

"When Ganon found out you were going to be in this tournament... He laughed, and assigned me to your side. He must be expecting a lot from you." Shiro complained, as he finally looked up at the Colosseum. "Impressive architecture! That makes this trip almost worth it." He admired the Ritos' work, and followed Dogura closely. When the finally came to the entrance, Dogura spoke with one of the Rito guards at the gate.

"Excuse me, I'm a contender here. Where do I go?"

The Rito looked down at his clipboard. "Dogura Shadowblade?"

The samurai cocked his head. "How did you know?"

"You're the last to arrive, sir! Hurry into the hypogeum!" He tapped his spear on the ground, and a gate behind him opened up to reveal a small passageway that led down into the ground.

Dogura immediately began jogging into the hypogeum. He faintly heard Shiro call over the roar of the crowd, "I'll be cheering!" Dogura smiled confidently as he followed the many twists and turns of the passage. There were torches here and there to light the way, but his eyes did most of the work. He absolutely loved the night vision, and came to wonder how he got along without it. His ears suddenly perked at a sound ahead.

Voices.

He could see the light of day ahead, and then people. He emerged into the hypogeum, and looked around at all the fighters that were gathered. The room was long, and there was a cage that looked into the arena. A couple of people snickered at his arrival. Dogura overheard a couple of jokes regarding his height, but ignored them. Best to save his rage for the battlefield. There was a Rito clad in armor standing in front of the group. "Ah, welcome! I was just about to explain the rules to everyone." He had a really deep voice for a member of the Rito. Quite a muscular build too! His muscles seemed to bulge at every point that the armor didn't cover, as if reaching out to test their might against all challengers. He held his arms behind his back and smiled at the warriors gathered.

"Welcome to the Cloud Top Arena, maggots. That's right- all you are right now are maggots, waiting to be slaughtered out there in that arena." Dogura smiled- he liked this guy already. "Now," he continued. "There are three other rooms like this in all cardinal directions of the arena's interior. In those rooms, all the combatants are being explained the rules just like I'm explaining them to you. Rule number one: No poisons. Poisons are for cowards, not warriors, and this is no place for cowards."

The samurai snickered. Good call, Doku.

"Rule number two: Do not attack the crowd under any circumstances. If they assault you in any physical way, the guards will deal with them- not you. Understood? Good. Rule number three: All fighting is to be done in the arena. If you're caught fighting anywhere outside of the confines of the arena, you will be disqualified from the tournament, and arrested. Rule number four: No necromancy. We won't have you raising the souls of our fallen gladiators to fight for you- it may be legal in some parts of Hyrule, but it isn't here. You will be arrested. Rule number five: No summoning demons! This is obvious, yes, but it's extremely important. Here at New Peaktop, one can be executed for tampering with demons. Rule number six: If a combatant concedes defeat, fighting is to seize immediately. If there is no surrender, you are to show no mercy. Failure to follow any of these rules will result in immediate expulsion from the arena, disqualification, and depending on the offense, following disciplinary actions. Got it?"

Nobody responded, giving off the implication that there were no questions regarding the rules.

"All matches will be held one at a time. While some will surely be quicker than others, you are to be prepared to enter the arena when your name is called. If you fail to enter the arena within one minute and thirty seconds of your name being called, you will automatically forfeit the match. Good luck to you all." With that, he turned and exited the room the way Dogura had come.

Talking began among the fighters, but Dogura retreated to a stool in the corner of the room. He sat down on the stool, closed his eyes, and leaned against the wall. Before long, two fighters were called into the arena; one of them was in this very room. A man of average build. Human. Carried a simple sword and shield. He walked to the end of the room, and exited the door. The crowd could be heard cheering as the two entered the arena.

"Hey there little guy." Dogura had expected trouble- but not this soon.

The vagabond heard the remark, but chose not to acknowledge the man. He knew exactly who it was too- the big oaf that had made the comment earlier.

"Aww, is he scared of big bad Bull?"

Dogura opened his eyes, and glared at the large man. He had a bald head, ugly teeth, and black eyes. He was covered in armor, and carried a big sword on his back. This was Dogura's favorite type of opponent- they were easy to kill, quick to anger, and fun to toy with. His father had taught him that, and it was a lesson that had been proven true time and time again.

"Hey, buddy!" A skinny brown haired guy next to Bull remarked. "Those are some fancy eyes, boss!"

The big guy smiled a toothy grin. "All the better to knock em out of his head."

"oooooooohh" The men in the room were gathered around the two now, obviously trying to instigate.

Dogura stared at the man, and removed a cigarette from his armor. He lit it, and took a puff on it. He sighed, smoke billowing out of his mouth. Best just to ignore the big oaf- all fighting was to be done in the arena, after all. He was just trying to intimidate everyone in the room by picking on the smallest target. It was painfully obvious that he was skating by one his size- an absence of skill was likely.

"Hey! I'm talkin' to you, shrimp!" Bull yelled, as he ripped the cigarette out of Dogura's mouth. He stomped on it, the men in the room going crazy again. Dogura stared at the man with a fire in his eyes. "Ohhh, did I make ya mad? What are you gonna do about it small stuff?" Dogura was gritting his teeth now- he was getting annoying.

"Don't touch me, or any of my belongings," Dogura stated simply. "I won't say that twice."

Once again, all the warriors in the room 'ooooh'ed, and it seemed they weren't on any particular side so long as they kept the fight going. Bull stood up straight, and laughed heartily at the samurai. "You're a confident little bastard. I bet I could kill you with one arm."

Dogura pointed behind him towards the crowd of men that had gathered. "I bet you couldn't beat him." The gargantuan bald headed man turned around to see the shrimp Dogura was pointing at. "Him? HA!" He turned around to scoff at the samurai, but yelped in surprise (even with a noticeable jump) as he found himself inches from the samurai's sword. The room got quiet- Bull was speechless.

"Your carelessness will kill you." Dogura quoted his father from long ago.

The man closed his eyes and smiled. "Clever. You got me. I won't make that mistake again though, shrimp." There was a noticeable waver in his voice that the entire room seemed to pick up on. Dogura took his seat back in the stool as the man lumbered off. Yep. The samurai thought as he lit another cigarette. Definitely dragging him to hell.

* * *

Shiro found his seat in the stands, and sat down. I've never actually seen Dogura fight. Come to think of it, will he even stand a chance against some of these fighters? I know he's skilled, but... He watched the fights rage on below, one after the other. The combatants he'd seen thus far were pretty lack-luster, with the exception of the first fighter. A man armed with only a shield and a sword managed to take down a fully armored ax wielding maniac. It was a nice sight to see, especially since the man's soul was pure enough to go to heaven when he died. No work on Shiro's end yet.

Then the next pair of names came:

"Edward Numbsteppe, and Dogura Blade! Please enter the arena!"

Shiro watched as the two entered the ring. Dogura walked calmly out onto the field, and looked around at the raging crowd.

"Dogura Shadowblade, everyone!" The enhanced voice erupted.
"He's only the second samurai in history to ever step into our arena!"

Then the second man appeared. He was of a slender build, and carried a bow at his side. He had blonde hair, and looked only to be around 18. He wore very light leather armor, and and carried on his side a knife, and on his back a quiver full of arrows.

"Edward Numbsteppe!" The announcer cried out.
"Looks like he'll be playing a ranged game! How can our samurai fare against an opponent he can't even get close to? Let's find out!! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!!"

Edward quickly loaded an arrow into his bow, a smile on his face. He was confident in an easy win. What luck! He thought as he aimed at the samurai. Dogura stared at him with his signature piercing glare.

"Wha-" Edward said as he aimed at the man. His eyes... I... He thought as his arms began shaking. I don't... I don't want to fight him... He was completely taken aback by the feeling of dread that swept over him as he watched the samurai's eyes. Suddenly, the unexpected happened. Dogura stopped glaring, and lightened up his expression.

"Alright then Edward!" He called out in a jolly manner. "Let's have a good one then! Gimme all you got!!" He smiled at the young archer.

Suddenly, Edward found himself able to calm down. "Alright, sam-oo-rai!! Here it comes!" He released the arrow with pinpoint accuracy. It was on a straight path to its target's chest, when Dogura simply side stepped the arrow, and began walking towards his opponent. Not batting an eye, Edward repeated the process again and again, each arrow missing, and Dogura only drawing closer. Edward started to panic, and it was plain to see. He started backing up, and firing erratically. The crowd was going nuts at the fantastic display of control Dogura displayed over the match.

"Can Edward manage to hit his target? Expert dodges from our samurai!!" The announcer instigated the crowd's cheers.

"Don't panic, Edward. A calm mind is key." Dogura once again recited his father- his mentor.

"SHUT UP!!!" Edward screamed as Dogura inched closer and closer.

At this point, the boy ditched the bow, and drew his knife- they were only a couple of feet away from each other.

"Is that wise?" Dogura asked. "Throwing away the only advantage you have over me?"

Interesting, Dogura... Shiro thought from the stands. You employ the use of psychological warfare... Very interesting.

"SHUT!! UP!!" Edward screamed as he charged Dogura.

"The answer..." Dogura stated as he easily dodged the knife. Everything slowed down as Edward sailed past the samurai. He turned his head, and looked the samurai in the eyes, a wild look of surprise and fear taking over his features.

"Is no."

Dogura finished the sentence delivering a heavy fist to the side of the boy's temple. He instantly hit the ground, blacking out. The crowd went wild over the meager show.

"DOGURA WINS WITHOUT EVEN DRAWING HIS WEAPON!! WE HAVE A WINNER FOLKS!! DOGURA SHADOWBLADE WINS!!"

Dogura looked up at the stands, and watched as the people cheered, and locked eyes with Shiro, who smiled, and gave him the thumbs up. Dogura returned the thumbs up, which made the crowd scream with delight.

"AND A THUMBS UP TO HIS NEW FANS!!"

Dogura dropped his arm in surprise of the comment. "I wasn't- Oh, whatever."

He returned to the hypogeum, where he was greeted with silence. Bull stared him down, "You think you're tough because you beat a kid? Why don't you pick on someone your own size- like a toddler, or an elementary school student?" There were laughs, and 'ooooh's once again. Dogura was getting tired of this- but refused to be disqualified. He could keep his cool easily enough. He returned to his stool, and sat down. "Soon enough." He simply stated as he leaned his back against the wall, and closed his eyes once more.

OOC: If anyone wants to post an RP fight like the one I just did, feel free! They're fun, and I'll read every one! I'll be posting here often to continue the tournament.

"Hey."

Dogura snapped to attention, his light nap interrupted abrubtly. It was the youngest warrior down in the hypogeum, or at least the one Dogura was in. The boy had to be 18 to participate in the tournament, but he looked like he was no more than 16. Of course, appearances can be deceiving; Dogura of all people would understand that.

"I don't mean to bother you..."

Dogura sat up and yawned, bringing himself to a somewhat alert state. While he was actually quite bothered, he responded, "No, no trouble at all. Can I help you?" That was about as polite a response as any considering it was from Dogura. The boy had blond hair that was parted messily to one side. He had the crimson eyes of the sheikah and a button nose. He didn't have a single mark on him, indicating that he hadn't seen a whole lot of battle. Inexperience could get you killed in a place like this. He wore thin leather armor, and carried two average sized swords at his belt.

"I saw your fight against the bow & arrow guy. That was pretty cool."

Oh great. A fan. The samurai thought bitterly. He'd had fans before; most of them were simply too excited- but this kid seemed somewhat calm.

"Thanks. It was unfortunate that he had to face the champion in the first round, but he wouldn't have lasted very long anyways."

The kid's head tilted. "You're the champion?"

"Soon to be." Dogura boasted.

Dogura's ears picked up some of the conversations in the room. A couple of the fighters hadn't taken too kindly to that last comment. It was to be expected- but some of their words were still pretty harsh.

The kid smiled, and folded his arms. "Well you'll have to beat me!"

Dogura couldn't help but smile at the kid's enthusiasm. He certainly was a Sheikah- confident no matter what the challenge. "I look forward to our fight. Say... How old are you exactly?"

The boy half smiled at this. "I'm 18... I just turned last week."

"Mmmhmm." Dogura mused, reading his mind for the real info. His name was Katsuro, and he was only 14. He reminds me of myself of at that age. So sure of his own abilities. The boy narrowed his eyes at Dogura so suddenly that it actually took him by surprise.

"Did you just... Did you just read my mind?" He asked quizzically.

The samurai was quite shocked, but did well to hide it. Now that's impressive. Of course, he is a Sheikah. He thought as he chose his next words carefully.

"You felt that?" He finally asked, clearly impressed.

"Yeah, and I don't appreciate it at all. Where are your manners?" He asked, Dogura noticing that a good deal of the room was actually listening to their conversation.

"You do those eyes proud, son." Dogura smiled, ruffling the child's hair. "I won't tell anyone. But do me a favor and don't die out there. You have serious potential, I can tell... It'd be a shame to lose your life over a stupid mistake."

The kid couldn't stay mad at the samurai. He truly looked up to him. "I'll be careful for sure." He responded with a nod. Then he said something that absolutely floored the samurai.

"If I can't hold my own against a couple of fools, maybe I deserve to die."

Dogura couldn't contain his surprise at this. For the first time here at the arena, he was completely taken aback, and by a kid no less. A couple of the man in the room laughed.

"Kid's got spirit!"
"Couldn't have said it better!"
"Would you look at that..."
"Ha ha ha! Well spoken, kid."
"Nice attitude!"

The last one was Bull, who slapped the boy on the back heartily. Dogura couldn't help but smile warmly at the child. It wasn't what the kid said, so much as another detail.

Those were almost my exact words when I was young...

Suddenly, the crowd roared.

"Ohhh!! And down goes Mickey! What a show!"

Almost completely ignoring the announcer, the kid extended his hand to Dogura. "Name's Katsuro- but I go by Suro. Nice to meet you Dogura." The samurai swung his arm around and grasped the kid's hand in a manly handshake. "Pleasure's mine."

"Our next contenders are Jerry Cage and Katsuro Lionheart!"

"Hey, that's me! Be sure to watch me!!" He called out excitedly as he ran for the arena. Dogura shifted uncomfortably, and decided he would watch this next match closely. He moved towards the gate and leaned on the wall.

"You're actually gonna watch that kid's fight?" One of the men near the gate asked. "You haven't watched any of the other fights... I thought you just didn't care."

Dogura didn't take his eyes off the arena, "He's... He's special somehow. I know it. Something is different about him."

"And we have Katsuro Lionheart, who comes to us all the way from Mido Town! On the other side, we have Jerry Cage, a swordsman from Ruto Town!"

The crowd was oddly silent- they still cheered- but it felt like they weren't as excited for this match. Jerry entered the ring, and looked to be about 30. He carried a small sword and a large round shield. He had a brown hair and wore a small chest plate, and a pair of greaves. He looked inexperienced- his stance wasn't very professional. Dogura sighed in relief. He's not a trained swordsman. Suro might have a shot.

Suro drew both swords and readied his stance. It was also rather unprofessional, but it was to be expected from a young kid who'd presumably had no prior training. The look on his face was of pure war. The samurai admired that look in his eyes, and couldn't help but feel strongly for the boy. Something was very very special about this child- he just couldn't place it.

"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!"

The man immediately charged the boy, probably hoping for an easy win. Suro remained still, as his opponent drew nearer and nearer. The look in his eyes was unwavering as he too set forward to do battle- his first fight in the arena.

Dogura's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

"The kid is too reckless!" Said the man next to Dogura; and the samurai couldn't agree more. Suddenly, just as they were about to collide with each other, Suro tripped.

Jerry, his opponent, smiled. He'd decided to take full advantage of the situation. As Suro fell, the man swung his sword downward, aiming right for the boy's chest. He planned to end it here!

No!! Dogura gripped the cage tightly.

Everyone in the crowd tensed up for the bloody impact. Suddenly, Suro did the unthinkable. He disappeared into Jerry's shadow! Dogura's expression changed just like the crowd's. From horror to shock, and excitement.

"He only pretended to trip!" The guy next to Dogura exclaimed. Suddenly, more of the people in the hypogeum were drawn to the fight.

Jerry suddenly panicked when his opponent disappeared, and sword was stuck deep in the earth. Almost immediately after he'd disappeared, Katsuro flung out of the same shadow, both swords buried deep inside the man- one through his neck, and one through his chest. Unlesss the divines themselves intervened, this battle was over.

"Faking a trip!! And into a Sheikahn shadowmeld! Wow, what a surprise!! This battle is over!! KATSURO WINS!"

Dogura couldn't help but smirk, and almost laugh. Now that was a pleasure to watch. Suro removed his sword from the man's body, and raised them both in the air as a nod to the crowd. He twirled them quickly, allowing centrifugal force to expel the blood from his blades.

That kid's good. Shiro thought as he smiled down on the child. He can't be 18 either... I wonder if Dogura's noticed him yet. The reaper stood up with the rest of the crowd and clapped for the young combatant. He certainly deserved the applause.

Suro sheathed his blades, and returned to the hypogeum, where he was greeted with several warriors patting him on the back, and shoving him around jovially.

"Nice one kid!"
"Well done!"
"I thought you were a gonner!"
"You pulled it off!"

He laughed and thanked them, suddenly turning his attention to the smiling samurai across the room. Dogura, as always, stood isolated from the rest of the group. Suro walked up to the samurai- Dogura's opinion was the one he cared most about.

Dogura couldn't stop smiling after a move like that- it was truly tactical. Finally, the vagabond spoke, "That was some trick you pulled."

Suro smiled widely. "Thanks. Did I fool ya?"

"You sure did," Dogura replied sharply. "And right after I told you not to get yourself killed." The samurai moved back to his stool, which he'd pretty much claimed by this point. He sat down, folded his arms, and leaned against the wall. "Be a little more careful from now on." He called across the room to Suro. The boy followed him to the small round table, and sat down on the floor cross legged. "I was in control of that whole match! It was easy."

"Damn overconfident little... Gonna die with an attitude like that..." The samurai grumbled as he closed his eyes. He couldn't believe how much he sounded like his father- made him almost a little uncomfortable. "Announcer said you were from Mido town." Dogura stated. "That's a long ways away. What brings you all the way up here? Don't you have a family?"

Suro cracked his knuckles. "Actually, I lived not far from Saria Town. I made up the Mido Town bit. I lived with my mother. My twin brother died when he was young, and I never met my father. I came North because I wanted adventure." Dogura shook his head- they were eerily similar in so many ways. Dogura liked to think he was unique- with his child double running around like this- Dogura opened his eyes and looked the child over. "I'm sorry to hear about your brother... How exactly... If you don't mind me asking..."

"Oh, not at all!" Suro responded. "The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He became gravely ill. The doctors told my mom something that really scared her- but she's refused to tell me all my life what exactly they told her." Dogura listened intently, before responding, "I'm sorry for your loss. Your mom must have been a tough woman to raise such a battle-savvy child." He said that last sentence with extra emphasis in a humorous manner.

"Mom says I get my battle instinct from my dad. She said he was strong, kind, and loving- but when it came down to fighting, he was an unstoppable force of battle." Dogura thought back on who was strong 14 years ago. He thought hard, until finally he concluded that perhaps his mother had fabricated the story to make the boy proud of his father.

"And your mother is Sheikah?" Dogura asked, still drawn to the kid's eyes.

"No, she said my dad was though."

"Well that explains where his strength in battle came from." Dogura nodded. "You know, when I was young, I ventured North too. Same reason too- to test my abilities, and explore the rest of the continent."

Suro's eyes brightened, "Really? That's amazing!"

Dogura smiled, when suddenly their conversation was interrupted.

"Ohh!! He won't be walking that off! Tenshi wins!!"

The crowd roared, and after a few seconds the voice came again:

"Round 2 begins now! Dogura Shadowblade, the man who didn't even need his weapon, versus Krosan Mapler, the dual wielding woodsman from the north!"

The samurai stood up and ruffled Suro's hair as he passed. "Watch me. You might learn a thing or two." The boy immediately zipped to the cage to watch his role model enter the arena. There was a loud roar as the both of them stood across from each other.

Krosan was a burly looking man. He had a chest plate over a flannel shirt, and not much else in terms of armor. He had a bushy brown beard, and messy hair. He had a good square jaw- he looked like a real fighter. He carried a hatchet in one hand, and a larger ax in the other. His muscles bulged, and he looked to be a more promising opponent than his last.

Dogura stood firmly, his hand resting on his blade, Krosan with his weapons already in hand, teeth bared.

"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!"

As usual, Dogura's opponent made the first move. He charged the samurai, swing his large ax in a vertical arc. Dogura dodged to the left, the ax embedded in the ground in his original spot. Suddenly the man tossed his hatchet in the air, and grabbed a tomahawk out of his belt. He tossed his quickly at Dogura, who quickly prepared himself for it. However, Krosan caught the hatchet he'd tossed above him, and threw that as well. The samurai smiled- this was getting good. The man had a lot of fight in him. With a flash of steel, Dogura unsheathed his blade and deflected the tomahawk, he dodged the second projectile, but Krosan was already upon him. The muscular man swung his ax horizontally, and the samurai dodged backwards. As soon as the man's ax had completed its arc, Dogura stepped inside, and stabbed the man several times in rapid succession.

The startled ax wielding woodsman staggered backwards in surprise. He dropped to a knee, and then to the ground. He was still breathing though.

"I've avoided your major organs. You'll live." Dogura stated to Krosan. Rather than get a nasty response from the man, Dogura was quite surprised at the response.

"Thank ya... That's real sweet'aya." He tilted his head back and waited for the medics to come out and grab him. "I concede." He stated with a heavy sigh. The crowd roared in approval.

"Dogura avoided killing his opponent! What compassion! We have a winner by forfeit!"

Dogura sheathed his sword, and exited the arena, still unchallenged.

That was quite skillful. Well done, Dogura. Shiro thought as he clapped. Well done indeed.

When Dogura entered the hypogeum, he received a couple of compliments.

"That was some fancy footwork there, swordsman!"
"Hey, hey! You're pretty skilled!"

However there was silence from where Dogura expected the most noise. Katsuro stood standing near the gate, his face very unimpressed. "Is that all you've got?" He asked, folding his arms. "That wasn't cool at all!" Dogura smiled, and walked past the child. "Sometimes, it's best not to play your hand so early in the game..." Suro's eyes opened at that. He realized the truth to that statement, and at that point he learned a life lesson from the samurai. "T-That's true I suppose... But you are stronger right?" He asked, watching Dogura carefully.

The samurai turned around, his eyes piercing the boy's in a way that sent shivers down his spine again and again. An absolutely foul aura leaking from the samurai for only a split second- his eyes seemed to glow ominously as he spoke, "You'll just have to wait and see..."

Many battles were fought.
Most ended in untimely deaths, others with petty surrender.
Towards the end of the day, the announcer's voice pierced the air.

"It is at this time that all Arena-Knights are to address their respective hypogeums about the continuation of the tournament."

Almost instantly, the man from before- the one that had explained the rules- appeared before them.

"Alright men, listen up. If you've survived this long, you're obviously a cut above the rest. First of all, I'd like to say congratulations to all of you for making it to round three. There are about fifty combatants left, and we're simply running out of daylight. The tournament will continue tomorrow at 12:30PM sharp. The New Peaktop Lodge will not enough beds to hold everyone at this tournament, so if you don't want to make the trip to Ruto Town, you'd better hurry. That's all! We'll see you tomorrow!"

He exited the hypogeum, and many warriors hurried after him. Dogura rose from his sitting position, and slowly made his way after the mob of people. He walked through the dimly lit stone hall, occasionally being brushed past by people hurrying for the lodge. Upon exiting the arena, he found Shiro waiting for him.

"That was entertaining." Shiro remarked smiling.
"I've yet to see a challenge." Dogura said angrily.

Shiro folded his arms. "You obviously weren't watching the matches." Dogura began walking towards the path that led back down to Ruto town, "Why should I? I don't care about anyone else's matches but my own." Shiro followed him, now understanding that Dogura had no intention of rushing to the lodge for the night. "Dogura, you'd best not underestimate some of the talent here. There are a couple of really skilled people, including one person in particular..." Dogura continued walking, pushing through the spectators that were leaving the stands. "Who is this one person in particular, and why should I care?" Shiro'd had enough of Dogura's non-chalant attitude. "Because I guarantee he'll kill you if you underestimate him!!" He nearly shouted.

Dogura stopped walking and turned around to face Shiro. His eyes were narrowed in a way that almost intimidated the reaper, "And who do you deem strong enough to kill me?" Shiro wasn't delayed in his answer, "Tensei, the Stone First."

Dogura's eyes held a bit of surprise in them. He flashed back to Ganon going over the list of people he'd had his eyes on. Shiro knew by the look on the samurai's face that his words had hit home. "The one that Ganon mentioned... He's fighting in this tournament?" Shiro nodded, "I believe he is. The announcer called his name as, 'Tensei Nomoura', and he's a geomancer." Dogura grew a bit uneasy. He'd never in all his days fought a geomancer. They were a rare and powerful breed of mage, and Dogura had no experience with fighting them. "A geomancer, you say... What makes you so sure it's the Stone Fist that Ganon spoke of?" Shiro looked around, making sure that nobody was paying any attention to their conversation. When he was sure that they were being paid little heed, the reaper turned back to Dogura to respond. "I believe this because he fights by calling stones to his arms. He creates a rock-hard exterior to his fists, and fights hand to hand while casting dangerous spells. He gives you two lethal forces to deal with at once, and nobody has stood a chance so far. If nobody can stop him, it's likely you'll be facing him tomorrow for the title of champion."

There was a silence, filled only by the chatter of people as they passed by. Dogura closed his eyes as if deep in thought.

"You can beat him." A voice came from behind Shiro. Dogura's eyes shot open to see Katsuro standing there with a determined look on his face. "I believe in you." He added, tightening his fists. "It won't do any good though if you don't believe in yourself." Dogura was moved by the child's words. It also brought the samurai to another realization.

"You felt my emotion." Dogura stated, clearly impressed with the child's abilities once more.

"No." He stated firmly, to the surprise of both reapers.

"I'm just good at reading people."

Dogura sighed, and smiled a genuine smile, "Don't worry, kid. I've got this." Shiro smiled an astonished grin at the connection the two shared.

Does Dogura... He does. He really cares about what this kid thinks of him. Shiro thought as he looked back and forth between the two. But why? Dogura doesn't care what anyone thinks of him... Why this child?

Suro extended his arm, a tightly balled fist aimed at the samurai. "Promise."

The samurai continued to be surprised by Suro, but he somehow enjoyed it. So many people were the same- predictable, and uninteresting. Suro however was unlike any kid he'd med in his travels however. Something was different- something was off.

Dogura simply extended his fist, and met Suro's with his own. "I promise." He stated.

With that, Katsuro smiled wildly, and took a couple of steps back before running into the crowd. "I'll hold you to it!" He called out from somewhere in the crowd as he disappeared. Dogura too turned and began walking towards the cliffs. Shiro followed behind him in wonderment, but decided not to ask anything. It would probably be for the best.

Once again arena was crowded to capacity, everyone shoving past each other, the young and elderly tossed around like a ship in a storm. The samurai pushed thought the mass of people, Shiro joining them on their way to the stands.

Finally, he'd made it to the familiar darkened hallway. He followed its twists and turns until he emerged into the hypogeum. It looked as if once again, he was one of the last people there. The armored man who'd explained the rules to them was holding a clipboard and a pen, and when he noticed Dogura enter the pit, he crossed off his name accordingly. "Good, good. That's everyone except for Katsuro Lionheart." The samurai scanned the room carefully.

The announcer's voice boomed out a pair of names, neither of which were Suro's or his own. Dogura closed his eyes, deep in thought. Fool. Must have overslept.

* * *

Not far from the arena between two buildings, three armed men surrounded a blonde headed boy. The air was tense, and a fight was seemed certain. The first man was a bald body builder. He carried a mace, and he didn't look happy. The second man was thinner than his bald fried, but he carried two knives, and wore a bandanna over is head. Brown hair rained over his face from beneath the bandanna, and he held both of his knives tightly as if prepared to strike. The third man was about as beefy as the first one, and donned a full beard. he carried an ax, and the three of them had the boy surrounded.

"Why do you want from me?" Suro asked agitated.

"What do we want?" Asked the bearded man. "You killed our friend yesterday."

Katsuro sighed, and widened his stance. He drew both swords, causing each of the men to tense up. "When he stepped into that arena, he knew full well what he was getting himself into. Don't blame me for his stupid decisions." Just then, the skinny one moved forward with both of his swords. Suro dodged them, and returned the attack with both of his blades. He stabbed the man once in the gut, and once in the chest before the bald man grabbed him from behind in a full nelson.

"Dammit, let me go!" The boy cried out just before the bearded one grabbed the bandanna off of his friend's head, and tied it around Suro's mouth. "Shut your mouth... Little brat." He mumbled, tying the bandanna tight. The now bandanna-less thug backed up towards the wall, and slid down it into a sitting position, "Little bastard got me good..." He looked at his hand, which was covered in blood. Suro's eyes widened as the bearded man cracked his knuckles.

"No worries Lenny... I'm gonna work him over real good."

Suro eyed the thug's bulging muscles, and he felt his stomach churn. The next couple of minutes would not be fun.

* * *

"And what a show! Ferdinand wins his third victory, and will advance into the next round! Let's hear it folks!"

The crowd complied, and cheered for the victor. Dogura had decided to take Shiro's advice from the night before. It would be best to watch the matches from this point on, as he'd likely be fighting the victors. The samurai was genuinely impressed with this fighter. Ferdinand Dockland was his name, and he was an extremely skilled swordsman. What was most impressive about the gentleman was that he was 60 years old! He carried a rapier and a dagger into battle, and with nimble movement, and precise strike, he always seemed to emerge the victor, even against a mage in this occasion. It's difficult getting close to a mage... And yet he managed to do it and make it look easy... He didn't even get hit. I'd better be careful if I fight this guy.

Shiro watched from the stands, equally impressed. He did his best to throw a mental message over the roars of the crowd to Dogura, whom he could see watching from the cage.

I hope you watched that fight closely, Dogura. This guy is good.

The samurai faintly caught the message, and simply signaled a 'thumb's up' to his reaping companion. His eyes found Shiro rather quickly, and he caught Shiro's nod, indicating that he'd received the message. Dogura turned to see if Katsuro had made it to the hypogeum yet, and instead found the man to his left looking at him strangely. Dogura suddenly realized that it would have looked as if he was giving another thumbs up to the crowd. He didn't bother to explain himself, but rather searched for Suro. He was nowhere to be found, and the samurai was beginning to worry. What if he gets called to fight? He'll wind up having to forfeit.

Next up, we have Ichiro Senji versus Dogura Shadowblade!

Dogura's ears perked up at his name, and he turned to see Ichiro already entering the arena. He was most likely human- the helmet he was wearing made it impossible to tell. Dogura pushed off of the cage, and began briskly walking towards the door to the arena.

"Hey," a man called from behind Dogura. "That's a friend of mine, don't kill him if you don't have to." Dogura heard the man, and waved to indicate that he had.

"Thanks bud." He heard the man call again as he entered the arena. He walked towards his foe, the armored man seeming taller and taller as he neared. Finally he stopped a good distance away from his opponent. The man, presumably human, was covered in armor from head to toe.

"Dogura, the samurai swordsman vesus Ichiro Senji, the walking fortress! BEGIN!!"

Ichiro pulled a massive two handed sword off of his back, and then a shield as well. He's wielding a two handed sword with one hand!? Thought the samurai, clearly astonished at the feat. He hadn't seen that since he'd watched Shigure battle. The possibility that the armored man was a Goron had been ruled out after the vagabond had seen the length of his opponents legs. It was either Human, Hylian, Sheikahn, or most unlikely, but still possible, a Zora. The armored colossus stood still, awaiting Dogura to make the first move.

Let's see how long I can prolong this. I'll give you as much time as I can Suro...

The samurai drew his sword, and began speaking, "Good luck Ichiro. May the best man win."

"I will." Came the deep voice from inside the helmet, as the armored mass of muscle shot from its position with alarming speed.

ooc: GAH! Don't leave it at that... I need to know what happens next now! Nice thing you have set up here by the way.

Eberron wrote:ooc: GAH! Don't leave it at that... I need to know what happens next now! Nice thing you have set up here by the way.

OOC: Thanks, I'm purposely leaving cliff-hangers recently.
Anyhow, it's time to write the next chapter!

IC:

The armored warrior was far faster than Dogura had expected, but not near fast enough. Dogura dodged to the side as the man passed by. Dogura studied the man further over, and found something interesting at his feet- the source of his speed.

Those are... Yes, there's no mistaking it.

Dogura.
I know.

The quick mental exchange didn't distract him from the armored beast charging in his direction. He aptly dodged to the left, and rolled out of the way. The very ground shook with each step the behemoth took. Dogura's eyes focused in on the boots once again, before he returned his focus to normal, and looked up his opponent.

"The Pegasus Boots. How did you come into possession of those?" The samurai aske, not dropping his guard even for a moment.

The steel clad warrior turned around to face Dogura, "Ah, you noticed the boots. You're quite observant- many don't even know about the boots of tales oldened with time." Ichiro pointed his sword once again at Dogura. "And how I acquired them is no business of yours." With that said, he prepared to charge again.

This kind of strategy will never work a skilled opponent. The boots are probably what got him this far. Charging directly into unsuspecting opponents. A cunning strategy, but how long did he really expect it to work. Suddenly, Ichiro darted towards Dogura with speed unseen as of yet. It was so fast that the samurai could barely react.

Shit! He wasn't dashing at full speed before!! He knew he couldn't dodge out of the way, and there were no shadows cast anywhere in the arena, aside from his opponents, which would be too close of a call. He didn't have time to think, and all he could do was take the best course of action possible. Thanking Ganon for his depth perception, he raised his sword sideways to deflect the blade away from him.

The moment of impact!

The blade slid cleanly along Dogura's katana, just as he had planned. However, next came the part that he wasn't looking forward to. The armored man slammed directly into him, sending him clear across the arena. He slid through the dirt for a good couple of seconds before slamming into the arena wall! Pain coursed through his body, and he winced from both impacts. He looked up in time to see the man charging at him once more with blinding speed. Once again there was no time to react. Shiro stood up in the stands, his face clear with concern. Anyone would have trouble dealing with a legendary item like that. C'mon Dogura, pull through! He thought, balling his fists.

Dogura stood up, and pressed against the wall. There was no escape- the sword would run right through him and the wall. His eyes widened as the the collision sealed it. The impact shook the entire arena, a massive cloud of dust encasing the two. Everyone in the arena gasped as the fight was concluded. Shiro's eye were wide with concern- he'd thought so much more of the samurai than that. The reaper turned to the cages, relieved to see that Suro hadn't made it in time to see his hero get smashed into a wall. Shiro sat down in a heap of depression.

"And it looks like we have winner! A crushing defeat for Dogura, the samurai!"

The audience was silent- clearly the majority of them had been pulling for Dogura. That, or they didn't know how to feel about such a death. It looked painful from the stands, there was no doubt. An deathly silence fell over the entire arena. Slow murmurs arose of how they thought Dogura was stronger than that, and how nobody should have fallen for such a forward strategy.

Shiro closed his eyes. You were dealing with a legendary item after all... I don't blame you, and you shouldn't be ashamed.

"Will everyone shut up?"

The call came from the crowd, everyone's attention turning to the man. Dogura stood near the top of the stands, his arms folded in disgust. "You didn't all think I'd go out like that did you?" The crowd bust into cheers at the heroic re-entrance, the samurai jumping clean over the entire crowd, and landing gracefully back into the arena. The dust cloud from before was clearing, and it was plain to see that Ichiro's sword wasn't pinning any bodies to the wall. Shiro smiled in relief, and couldn't help but laugh at the situation just a little.

"BACK FROM THE DEAD!! DOGURA IS BACK FROM THE DEAD! WOW, WHAT AN ANOMALY!!"

Ichiro grunted in anger as he tore his sword from the wall, and turned to the samurai. "How... How did you do that?" He sounded frustrated.

"There's a small shadow being cast from the wall. It was small, but I was able to take advantage of it." The samurai stated.

Ichiro shook his head. "So you're a Sheikah... Alright- but this is the middle of the day, and soon there won't be any shadows for you to hide in. Get ready."

The tank immediately shot forward, but before taking even two steps, tripped and fell flat on his face. The crowd laughed at the poor humiliated man as he lifted himself off of the ground. Dogura rose his arm, and in his hand he was clutching a pair of boots. Very special boots in fact- the Pegasus Boots. "I went ahead and took these while you were stuck in the wall- You know, before I escaped to the stands."

The crowd laughed harder at this, obviously not realizing that the boots were the source of the man's speed. Even the announcer seemed clueless as to what the boots really did.

"The samurai has a sense of humor! He stole Ichiro's boots! How about that? What a show!"

Ichiro showed clear surprise, and then ultimately dropped his sword and fell to his knees. He held up his hands, and uttered, "I surrender."

Dogura cocked his head, a disappointed look on his face. "Just like that? You're not even going to continue?"

An angry voice came from within the helmet. "You know damn well what you just did... It's pointless now, I surrender."

"We have a surrender here folks! Ichiro surrenders! Dogura Shadowblade wins!!"

Dogura was tiring of his false name. He wished he'd have chosen something else at this point.

DO - GU - RAH!!
DO - GU - RAH!!
DO - GU - RAA!!

The crowd chanted his name as he tossed the boots back to Ichiro. The man graciously took them, and began putting them back on. The samurai sheathed his sword, and began walking out of the arena, not bothering to address the crowd like a real super star would. His mind was elsewhere at the moment.

You'd better be back by now Suro... I didn't think he would surrender so fast. He must have had no fighting skill whatsoever.

He entered the hypogeum and looked around. The kid was still nowhere to be found. Dogura was growing increasingly worried at this point. Even if he'd overslept, he would have been here by now. What if he was in trouble? With his own fight for the moment concluded, he figured it wouldn't be out of the question to go out and search for the boy. He ignored all the cheers and congrats from his fellow men down in the pit, and advanced past them into the long winding hallway.

He hurried down the hallway, and suddenly came to a halt. Katsuro nearly ran into him before stopping and smiling.

"Hey! Did they call me to fight yet?"

"NO!" The samurai shouted back. "Where in Farore's Wind have you been?!"

Suro sighed and pushed past the samurai. "Follow me. I'll tell you all about it in the hypogeum." The samurai followed him to their regular stool and table. Suro took his place on floor, and Dogura took a seat on the stool. He was eager to hear the kid's excuse.

"Start talking." Dogura commanded.

"Alright, alright, sheesh!" He cleared his throat.

"So I was on my way here when I got jumped by three goons."

The samurai closed his eyes. I knew something was wrong...

"They were mad because I killed their friend here in the arena," Suro continued. "I stabbed one of them real good, but one of the others got me from behind. He held me there while the other two were getting ready to beat the senses out of me."

Dogura's eyes widened. "How in the world did you get out of that?! You'd better not be lying to me!"

Katsuro shook his head.

"It's all true. I would have been beaten, and most likely killed if it weren't for him."

Dogura listened carefully.

"It would have been all over for me if it weren't for the Rito with golden feathers."

The samurai's eyes noticeably changed in intensity at the mention of the Rito. That, however, could be answered in a moment.

"Okay. It's likely you aren't lying to me. How could you have let them catch you?"

Suro looked away from the samurai, avoiding eye contact at this point. "I... I..." He stammered, as if trying to come up with something to tell his role-model. "I was-"

"Before you answer that question," Dogura cut him off suddenly. "Know that, like you, I'm pretty good at reading people myself. If you lie to me, I'll know. Continue." Katsuro closed his eyes hard as if making a decision as quickly as he could. The announcer was blaring in the background about the current battle, but this was more important. He was picking up a small telepathic frequency from Shiro. It was broken, and difficult to read, but Dogura was able to tell that it was his friend nagging about how he wasn't watching the fight.

"Alright!" The boy suddenly burst out.

"I stole some food, dammit!" He finally admitted. "I stole some food, and they offered to hide me! I had to make a fast decision, the guards were looking for me! I didn't have much of a choice, so I followed them into an ally. That's the truth, for real!"

Dogura sighed before pinching the skin between his eyebrows. Suro could almost feel the disappointment coming from Dogura, and he didn't even feel like being in the same room anymore. He just wanted to disappear completely at that moment. Maybe I shouldn't have told him... Suro thought regretfully. He knows I'm a thief now. He's so perfect. An icon of justice, and all that's right. How could ever be proud of me now?

"I guess what's important is that you're unharmed." Dogura finally spoke.

The boy's eyes opened wide in astonishment. He couldn't believe that the samurai was being so understanding.

"But why were you stealing food?" Dogura asked after a brief silence. "Why? Don't you have any money?" He added as he placed his elbow on the table next to him, and let his head rest in his hand. The boy was silent for a few moments before the announcer blurted out something in the background. He turned his head towards the fight, but Dogura called his attention back immediately. "Hey, I asked you a question!"

Suro looked back at the samurai angrily. "Hey, you know what? You're not my father! I don't have to listen to you! I don't need to take this! Who are you to question my methods, or scold me?! Maybe you're too soft, did that ever occur to you? Maybe before you lecture me, you should kill a man! At least I can say I've done that!"

Dogura suppressed the urge to smack the kid across the face, and simply closed his eyes. He mediated for a moment, and thought carefully about what he would say next.

"Yeah." Katsuro added. "You've got nothing to say to that do you?"

The samurai opened his eyes, a piercing glare in Suro's direction. If the boy was afraid, he chose not to show it, and instead glared back.

Unwavering.

"When you become an adult, you realize that the answer doesn't always lie in killing someone." Dogura finally stated.

"And you know what?" Suro interjected. "That's another thing that annoys me! Stop acting like you're older than you are! You've got to be like 23, tops! You're not some everliving guru flowing with knowledge!"

Dogura gritted his teeth in anger, stifling the demon rising up within him. "You know nothing about me or the life I've lived, you've not seen what I've seen, nor have you been where I've been, and I'll be damned if I'm talked down to by a child!"

Suro's face turned red with a mixture of rage and embarrassment, as he realized that the hypogeum was quiet with listeners. There were only four people left, but they were all staring.

"Hey," One of them stated to Dogura. "He aint no kid anymore. You gotta be 18 to participate. That makes him an adult, and you should treat him like one."

The samurai stared him down for a moment, the man immediately looking away. Dogura turned his eye to Suro, who at this point hesitated. His eyes... The blond-headed boy thought nervously. His eyes... Why do they seem so... All-knowing?"

"Age has nothing to do with being a child or an adult." Dogura stated firmly. "Maybe someday you'll learn that too."

"OH, and down goes Gary Marschwitz!! Down goes Gary! Our winner is Jack Redguard! Give Jack a round of applause for an amazing battle!"

The crowd roared before the announcer called the next combatants.

"Next up, we have Ferdinand Dockland vesus Tensei, The Stone Fist!"

Dogura immediately rose to his feet, and made his way to the cage. This would be a fight worth watching.

The air was tense throughout the arena, as Tensei stepped into view. He had long grey/white hair, grey eyes, and tan skin. A grey beard extended from his mouth down the length of his neck. His features seemed hardened as if he'd seen years of combat experience, and He wore baggy brown and tan colored clothing, making it impossible to tell if it was a one-piece outfit, or a shirt and pants. He wore a red cloth like a belt at his midsection, and he wore sandals at his callused feet, and carried a wooden staff into battle. His body was well built, and while he looked like he was quite old, his body was in prime condition. He let the bottom of his cane hit the dirt beneath him, making the ground quake ever so slightly.

Ferdinand entered the arena, also an elder gentleman, and raised his rapier. "I concede."

Dogura narrowed his eyes.
The crowd gasped, and the man continued.

"Don't think badly of me New Peaktop. Within burns the desire for battle; but I know when I'm outmatched. To do battle with this gentleman would be suicide for someone like me. I hope you'll all understand." He turned and began walking away, some of the crowd booing at his back.

"Ferdinand forfeits! How about that folks?"

Tensei exhaled, closed his eyes, and also turned to walk away- but not before a few parting words. "Do not be too hard on him." His first words were muffled by the outcry of the angry audience, but they quickly silenced to hear him speak further. "It was a wise and noble decision. A man who knows when to quit has my respect- because it's much harder to swallow one's pride and walk away than it is to rush in head-on and kill yourself. There's no shame in making the intelligent decision." With that he too, left the arena.

Ferdinand had heard these words, and smiled warmly as he left. He was glad that at least his opponent understood. The crowd was silent, not quite knowing how to deal with what just happened. Tensei had become a crowd favorite during the length of this tournament- they wanted to see him fight again. They did however respect his words of wisdom. Dogura pushed away from the cage, and sighed. If he forfeited just from seeing Tensei fight... I might truly be in for a war... The samurai went back to his stool, sat down, and lit a cigarette. He exhaled smoke, pondering deeply the measures he would take to safely engage Tensei. From Shiro's words, he was quite skilled, and he'd just witnessed an opponent forfeit before the match could even begin. Tensei was on Ganon's list of possible new reapers for a good reason.

The samurai stood up, and walked out of the hypogeum. The announcer called out a couple of names behind him, neither of which he cared about. He continued walking through the long dimly lit hallway, and exited out the other end. He looked around at the deserted town- almost every single citizen was packed into the arena, save for the occasional passing guard. Dogura closed his eyes, and removed his cigarette.

"Ganon. What can you tell me about Tensei, The Stone Fist?"
A long pause followed the question before finally, a voice rang through his head.

So you are worried about Tensei. You should very well be worried, Dogura. He is strong.

"I see. From what you've seen of me, is it something you think I can handle?"

You are not having second thoughts, are you Dogura?

"I am not. I am however, going to use every resource at my disposal to get a clear idea of what I'm up against. I remember his name from your list of possible reaper candidates."

You have a sharp memory, samurai. Indeed, I have considered him. I believe you can handle him. It will strain your very finest abilities, but I believe you are the superior warrior.

"Tell me about him."

Tensei is a geomancer. He manipulates the earth and structures around him for combat purposes. He is also skilled in the other areas of magic. He is proficient in hand-to-hand combat, as well as he is an expert with that staff he clutches so closely. The staff greatly enhances the direction and accuracy of his spells. If you can get his staff away from him, it will provide you with an advantage.

"I see. Is that all the information you have?"

Regarding combat, yes. By knowing your opponent, you already have the advantage. I suggest that you try to end the fight as quickly as possible.

"You're not holding anything from me?"

What would I have to gain from that?

". . . I suppose you're right. My apologies."

I want his soul, Dogura. It is completely dependent on you killing him here. He lives in the mountains, surrounded by dangerous terrain. If he returns home, even the combined efforts of you, Shiro, Doku, and Hera would not be suitable for an assassination attempt. It has to be here.

"Understood. I'll do what is necessary to take him down."

See to it that you do.

With that, the frequency left the samurai, and knew now again he was alone. The samurai turned around, and walked back around to the entrance of the hypogeum. Before he could enter the hallway, however, Suro stood there in his path. Dogura's shock to see the boy was almost clear.

"Dogura..."

Shit... He heard me talking to Ganon... What do I tell him now?

"I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier." The boy finally said.

Dogura exhaled, relieved that he hadn't been heard. Still, how had Suro managed to sneak up on him? He was one of the most alert people on the continent. To think that a child snuck up on him- it was further reason to believe that Katsuro was special.

"It's alright." The samurai replied. "We all make mistakes when we're young and stupid."

Suro accepted the insult- he felt that he deserved it. Dogura walked past the boy, and into the long hallway. "Come on. We don't need you to miss a match." He called back to the boy, who hurriedly followed behind him.

Matches came and went. Most of them were the same. Two big guys who've had lucky opponents so far, a mage who hasn't yet faced another mage...

Dogura stared through the bars across the arena into the hypogeum at the far end. His eyes zoomed in upon Tensei.

... And the occasional truly strong opponent, slicing down any opposition. The samurai had kept a moderately low profile thus far, but still managed to gain some loyal fans from his flashy matches. The first match, he hadn't even deemed his opponent worthy of the cold steel that made up his blade. The second match looked like as if he'd been defeated. He sighed heavily, and gripped the cage with one of his hands. He stared outward at the two opponents, one of them an archer, the other a mage- neither of them strong enough to cause any concern.

"Hey."

The voice suddenly brought Dogura to attention. It was rare that he was so deep in thought that the noise around him became a dull buzz. It gave him a bit of a headache, being so quickly brought back to reality. He turned his head towards the speaker- Suro, looking rather worried.

"Are you alright? You seem worried about something." He asked, folding his arms.

Dogura turned over, and pressed his back to the wall. "I'm fine." He simply stated, nothing more, nothing less. There was a pause.

"I don't have any money left." Katsuro said out of the blue. Dogura looked at him as if he didn't understand.

"You asked earlier why I stole food. It's because I'm broke."

Dogura carefully considered the boy's situation. So he was starving... He's not a thief out of greed, but out of survival. It's good to know his heart's in the right place. Finally, Dogura asked a question he'd been avoiding, "Why can't you go home?"

Suro stared blankly out of the cage, as if deciding whether or not to respond. "I had a fight with my mother. She told me I wasn't old enough to leave. I... Well, I yelled at her. I left claiming that I could handle myself. So here I am... Handling myself."

The samurai was glad that it was simple. He chuckled silently. "When do you plan on going home?"

There was a silence- or as silent as it can get in the arena. The crowd seemed to go wild whenever someone so much as sneezed. They were an easily entertained group of people.

"My mom said... Don't bother coming home."

Dogura frowned, "That doesn't sound like a motherly thing to say."

Suro's face hardened in a way that Dogura's often did when he was planning on being stubborn. "Well I ain't going home. I'll starve before I go home begging for food and shelter." Dogura shook his head. "Your mom probably feels pretty badly about what she said. I'm sure she's worried sick." Suro's face didn't lighten up even a bit. He simply watched the archer get blown to smithereens by a lightning bolt, blood coating the arena. He didn't look away- he simply closed his eyes for a moment, his facial features finally changing.

"I can't go back there. I just can't." He stated just before the announcer got to talking again. It didn't do anything positive for Dogura's headache. "Where are you staying right now?" He asked the boy.

"Here and there..."

Suddenly, the announcer finally called out a name worth hearing.

"Next in the arena is Falcar Jaskar versus Katsuro Nomoura! Let's hear it!"

The crowd cheered, but not like they did for Tensei, or anyone else they cared to see fight. Dogura watched a couple of people leave the stands, probably to take a bathroom break during a match they didn't care to see. Dogura shook his head in disapproval, lit a cigarette, "Be careful. Expect anything." Those were Dogura's only words of advise, Suro accepting them anyway and hurrying into the ring.

Falcar was a Rito, and it looked like he was a swordsman. He carried two swords at his back, and a couple of knives at his waist. Suro entered the arena, and stood the appropriate distance away from his opponent.

BEGIN!

Katsuro drew his blades and took a defensive stance. The Rito took off towards Suro, tossing a knife as he ran- it looked like he wasn't underestimating his opponent. The boy tossed his right sword up in the air, and caught the knife that had been hurdled in his direction. He quickly responded by throwing it back at the Rito, who dodged it without much effort. Suro caught his sword, and clashed with the Rito, who'd drawn both of his swords for a Mortal Draw. The force knocked the boy to the ground, and Falcar didn't waste anytime seizing the opportunity. He jumped into the air, and dove towards the boy, both swords aiming for his gut. Katsuro, keeping his wits about him, dropped into the shadow cast by the Rito. Falcar buried both of his swords into the dirt, and quickly realized the severity of his situation.

"A Sheikah!" He called out, clearly audibly surprised. He dodged to the left as a sword stabbed at him from his own shadow, and then right, dodging yet again. He quickly tore his swords out of the dirt, and took flight. Suro quickly hopped out of the shadow before it disappeared, and tossed one of his own hidden knives. Falcar wasn't able to evade the projectile, as it sunk into his shoulder. He cried out in pain, and dropped one of his swords as he struggled to stay afloat. Katsuro caught the sword, and threw it with all of his might at his opponent, who managed to dodge a fatal blow, but still suffered a sever looking laceration on his leg. The Rito fluttered to the ground a good distance away from his opponent. He held his shoulder, and winced in pain.

Wow! What a fast paced battle! DO NOT BLINK!!

The Rito smiled, "Hey kid... (pant) You're pretty good!"

Suro was quite winded from the fast exchange. The Rito placed a hand over his leg, and a green glow pulsated under his palm. When he removed his hand, the laceration was completely healed. He repeated the process on his shoulder, and it had similar results. The Rito stood up, and gripped tightly the only sword he had at the moment. He checked his knives- he had two left. He looked up at the boy, and began formulating a strategy.

Katsuro breathed heavily, taking the moment to catch his breath.

That was excellent work, Suro. Unfortunately however, it looks as if he's a quite skilled cleric. He's completely healed both of his wounds. You're going to have to end it one strike.

The boy finally stopped breathing heavy, and held both of his swords confidently.

So it seems. The boy thought as he prepared for the next clash. His opponent held his ground as well- it looked like neither of them were willing to initiate combat.

"Fine." Suro said as he twirled his blades once, then twice, and then again. He stopped them firmly in his grip, and grinned. "If you're too scared... And you won't come to me..." As if set off, the Rito immediately charged the boy.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Katsuro cried out as they clashed. Falcar was surprisingly adept with only a single sword. He managed to keep up against an opponent wielding two weapons. The swords clashed again and again, as they occasionally sidestepped, weaving in and out, neither of them landing a successful strike. Falcar gripped his sword with both hands, and swung hard. Dogura gripped the cage- this was the moment. The moment that he called the clincher. It was at this moment that Katsuro could win the battle, or miss the opportunity entirely. He didn't want to call out for fear of breaking the boy's concentration.

Suro saw the blade coming, and raised both of his swords to block- he braced for impact, and felt the entire force of the blow rattle through his blades, hilts, wrists, and then arms. Dogura gritted his teeth. He'd missed the opportunity. Suro had successfully blocked the attack- but then something happened that he hadn't expected. The Rito kept the momentum going, and did a complete 360 degree turn for another powerful smash.

The Spin Attack! Dogura and Katsuro both recognized it at the same time. Katsuro could barely raise his swords in time to block the second attack, but this time the strike was too powerful. It knocked both of his weapons right out of his hands, and sent them flying across the arena. Suro felt the vibrations rattle his entire body, and while he'd blocked the attack, the spin continued! Dogura watched in awe, as he realized that this was the Hurricane Spin! The samurai could hardly believe his eyes- he hadn't seen that technique with his own eyes until now. The ancient technique used by the Hero of Winds, was occurring right here in the arena.

Shiro was at the edge of his seat. "Unbelievable! The Hurricane Spin!" The reaper knew that the boy was in trouble. This is bad. That kid's gonna get chopped clean in half! And these fools... He thought begrudgingly at all the people that had chosen to leave. These people have no idea what they're seeing right now. The ancient technique of the Waker of Winds. Dogura's eyes widened at the impending fate of the boy. Katsuro watched as everything turned to slow motion. He felt his brain begin to work faster- it was as if he was concentrating his thoughts at 100%. His eyes moved to the cage, where Dogura was screaming something. He turned to see Falcar's determined face as he brought the blade back around for the third swing.

I've never seen a technique like this before... But I'm not about to die here.
The boy reacted quickly in this slow motion-like state, and ducked under the blade, barely managing to get under the arc. He could almost feel his hair being cut as he reached into his belt, feeling for his second dagger. He found it, and wrapped his hand firmly around the hilt. He looked Falcar dead in the eye, surprise evident in the Rito's facial expression.

Slow motion.

Movement.

The thrill of battle.

All of it was coming together in the boy's senses as he watched the Rito bring the sword around once more. Dogura and Shiro watched in awe as the boy predicted the angle of the next swing. Falcar aimed low for the crouched opponent- just to Suro's liking. The boy sprang upwards, and narrowly avoided the downward arc. Shiro, along with the rest of the crowd stood up as they watched the spectacle unfold. The boy had cleared the dangerous buzz-saw of a technique, and wound back his arm. He tossed the knife with all of his might straight for the Rito's head. The swordsman's eyes widened as the knife soared through the air, a short distance, straight towards his head. The knife nailed the Rito right between the eyes, and the sword went flying as his grip loosened. Katsuro fell to the ground, and landed with a heavy thud- just like his opponent.

The Rito laid on the ground, unmoving. Un-breathing. A heavy silence fell over the arena as Katsuro climbed to his feet. Dogura breathed heavily, an exasperated smile on his face, Shiro unable to maintain his usual unsurprised expression. Katsuro raised a fist in the air as the crowd went wild.

"KATSURO WINS!! KATSURO WINS!! WHAT AN EXPLOSIVE BATTLE PEOPLE, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!"

The samurai shook the cage and screamed with joy. The few people left in the hypogeum were clambering all over each other, high fives, and hugs, as clearly all of them were cheering for the boy. An absolutely marvelous air filled the stadium as the boy emerged victorious.

"A TRULY STUNNING DEFEAT FOR FALCAR!"

Shiro sat down, and exhaled deeply, much the same as Dogura. The boy gathered his weapons and returned to the pit. When he entered, the four of them, Dogura included, met him with cheerful shoves, and words of excitement. The boy was exhausted, but overjoyed and overwhelmed at the outcome.

The samurai couldn't be more proud of the boy's victory. Why am I so happy for this kid? He thought as he ruffled the child's hair. Why do I feel so relieved for him? He ignored these questions as the small celebration in the hypogeum raged on.

More battles came and went until the round had seized. There were only eight fighters left, Dogura and Suro included. The Rito that had informed them of the rules once again appeared before them.

"Hey guys," he entered, a smile on his face. "You're all finalists! You should be proud of yourselves. The battles have been long and hard, but you've prevailed."

Inside the hypogeum, only Dogura, Suro, and another swordsman remained. The Rito smiled at them, and bowed. "You're all truly amazing. The battles have been longer than expected. We'll continue tomorrow." The samurai sighed- he was afraid of that. He might wind up being gone for a little longer than a weak. It wouldn't do for Doku to come looking for him.

"Very well." Dogura stated as he stood up and stretched. Katsuro, who'd been sitting next to him stood up as well.

"We'll see you tomorrow at twelve o' clock," stated the Rito before he left the room, all three warriors following not too far behind him. Upon emerging outside, Shiro was waiting for the samurai. "Hello Dogura." He turned and followed the samurai as he passed. "Setting up camp in the same place again?"

"Mh." He confirmed as he walked. Suddenly, he stopped, Shiro almost running into him. He turned around and looked at Katsuro, who was standing there looking around at nothing in particular. The boy had nowhere to stay, and Dogura now aware of this, didn't like it. It just didn't sit well with him.

"Katsuro." He called out, the boy's head turning in his direction. "Do you need somewhere to stay?"

The boy was stubborn. "No, I'm fine on my own, thanks." He responded with a bit of hesitation in his voice. Dogura sighed angrily.

"Nonsense. Come with us, we'll get you something hot to eat." He turned and began walking away, Shiro on his heels. The boy thought it over carefully, and watched as the two disappeared into the crowd...

OOC: The "Camp" topic is a square east of here, in case nobody knew. The first post is from the first time they set up camp, and the second post is after this one.

The day was cloudy- definitely not a good day to fight Dogura OR Katsuro. With the ground covered in shadows, the both of them stood a better chance than normal. Inside the hypogeum, Dogura and Katsuro watched as Andy and another combatant duked it out.

Andy was a tan skinned man with black hair, and goatee. Dogura and Andy had only spoken once, but the samurai was still pulling for the man. They did after all share a hypogeum, and there was a small bond there.

Andy breathed heavily as he dodged the repeated magical blasts. A mage by the name of Gorrack Jinzo was casting spells relentlessly. Andy dodged again and again, occasionally taking small hits here and there.

"Hang in there, Andy..." Dogura said just loud enough for Katsuro to hear.

"I see what he's doing... It's smart." The blonde haired child remarked. Dogura nodded in agreement.

Andy watched carefully, and continued to dodge the repeated assaults of fire, water, and light. Andy was allowing the mage to run himself out of magic. The swordsman was quite athletic, and had amazing cardio.

He's getting tired... If I can keep this up, I can nail him before I run out of magic. Gorrack thought as he continued firing spells. Andy was breathing heavily, and his movements were getting slower and slower.

"And Gorrack isn't letting up! How much more punishment can Andy take?"

Everyone was at the edge of their seats. There were cheers for the mage, and cries of encouragement for the swordsman. Andy finally dropped to one knee, and seized to move. He breathed heavily, and fell down on one hand.

"Out of steam? Good. Now die." Gorrack conjured a huge ball of fire above his head, and sent it hurtling towards Andy. The man's eyes widened in terror as the fireball consumed everything in the area. Out of the side of the wreckage however, Andy managed to escape the flames. The mage's eyes widened in surprise. "WHAT?! You've got to be kidding me!! I put all my energy into that! You should be dead, how can you even still move?!" The man wasn't breathing heavily anymore, and on his face was a smirk that said it all. The man advanced towards the magician, who stumbled backwards in a frenzied panic.

"How?! HOW?!?!" He cried out angrily as he struggled to cast another spell.

"You really want to know?" Andy asked as he lunged forward and buried his sword deep into the spell caster's chest.

"I wasn't really that tired." He stated as he ripped the blade out of his opponent's chest.

"YES!" Katsuro cried out, he and samurai both smiling widely.

"WAY TO GO ANDY!!" Suro cried out happily. The man waved his sword in the air, and crowd cheered wildly for him.

"Feigning fatigue!! What a victory for Andy Craig!"

The man exited the arena, a smile on his face. He entered the hypogeum, and sat down on the bench.

"Nice work out there, Andy!" The samurai commended.
"Hey, you better do well too, alright?" Andy responded as he unscrewed his canteen, and took a couple gulps of his water. He poured the rest all over his head for a refreshing cool-off. The announcer than called two names, both unexpected.

"Next up, we've got Dogura Shadowblade, the shadow swordsman, versus Katsuro Nomoura, the young warrior!"

The two looked at each other- neither of them expected this. Katsuro's eyes were wide- he knew he didn't stand a chance, and so did Dogura.

There was a silence in the air, as Andy looked back and fourth between the two. "Ouch..." He stated.

Finally Suro extended a hand. The samurai stared at the boy, "You've giving up just like that?" The boy looked up at the samurai with a bright fire in his eyes.

<center>"Actually Dogura... I've been looking forward to this."</center>

The samurai smiled, more proud of the boy than he ever had been. He grabbed the boy's hand, and they shook on it. They immediately turned and headed for the arena. Upon entering, the crowd roared, and put the appropriate distance between each other. They stood facing each other- the shouting of the crowd turning into a dull drone around them.

"BEGIN!!"

The two immediately darted towards each other, both of them drawing their weapons. Suro was the first to swing- it was easy to see, and the samurai easily dodged the blade. The moment he intended to retaliate however, the boy launched a surprise dagger. It stuck in his chest plate, not penetrating far enough to do any damage. It caught him off guard long enough for the boy to drop into a shadow, and appear directly behind his opponent.

Clever. Thought Dogura.

"Nice move," The samurai stated as Katsuro leaped out of the shadow behind him. Dogura pivoted, and threw a powerful kick into the boy's stomach. After flying a couple of feet away, the boy flipped and landed on his feet, albeit gripping his abdominal region clearly in pain.

"I invented it." Dogura finished, as he dropped his leg and returned to his original stance.

"Dogura read the attack perfectly!" The announcer chimed in.

The crowd cheered as the blonde headed boy stood back up. Of course... He's a Sheikah too. He expected the attack from behind. The boy thought as he planned his next strategy. He found however, that he wouldn't have time to think of one, as Dogura set forward to press the offensive.

Shit! Katsuro thought as he prepared for combat. The samurai swung his sword several times, Katsuro managing to block each one. Eventually the boy would throw an attack of his own into the mix, but each time the samurai seemed prepared. Blow after blow, they clashed steel for an entire thirty seconds before the boy did something unexpected. He blocked an incoming attack with both swords, and pushed back forcefully at the moment of impact. This threw Dogura a bit off guard, as he recovered from the force. Immediately after, the boy used the momentum of the swing to push both swords into the ground, and holding onto the handles as a grip, threw both legs in a powerful kick.

The samurai's eyes widened as he suddenly realized the target of the kick. The boy was aiming for the pommel of the dagger that he'd stuck in his chest plate. Dogura smiled wildly, Amazing! How cunning! I'm liking this kid more and more. The samurai dropped into a shadow just in time to avoid the kick.

Shit!! I'm exposed!! Suro immediately realized the error in his attack. It left him entirely vulnerable. The samurai wasn't about to let this error go unpunished. He shot out of the ground punching the boy hard in the back of his head on his way skyward. Katsuro cried out in pain as he dropped the ground near his swords. He immediately reached for his swords, which were still stuck in the ground next to him. When he looked up however, he found Dogura standing between him and his weapons.

"That was tricky, and clever. But you should never disarm yourself if unnecessary. You aimed to end it, and it would have worked if you weren't fighting someone who could shadowmeld. A commendable effort- but you've lost."

The boy realized that he was now separated from his weapons, and the fight was effectively over. He gritted his teeth, and drew two of his throwing knives. "It isn't over until I say it's over." He responded angrily. The samurai smiled at the boy. He had a good drive, and nice determination.

"I understand that you're unwilling to give up. A strong man requires a strong drive."

Suro listened intently.

"But a wise man knows when to stop fighting."

The boy was a bit surprised by the comment. "How about you," the knife-wielding teen responded, "Neither of us can beat Tensei, and you're still going to try aren't you?"

Dogura smiled, and even chuckled a little.

"We'll never know until we try, will we?"

There was a silence- even the crowd seemed to be listening to their bantering. Dogura's eyes shifted towards Tensei's hypogeum. The man was watching the fight- Dogura particularly. Surely he's listening to every word. Perhaps he's recognized me as a threat... The element of surprise is still on my side however.

He turned back to Katsuro, who's arms were in the air. "Alright, I give up." He stated flatly.

The samurai sheathed his sword and walked forward, a proud smile on his face. He ruffled the child's hair yet again, and smiled warmly. "You're learning." Katsuro fought the man's hand away, and looked around, "Don't! People are looking, geez!"

With that, Dogura turned and began walking back to the hypogeum. The boy picked up his weapons, and hurried after him.

"Katsuro admits defeat! No shame in knowing when you're beat! You did well!"
The announcer encouraged the samurai's lesson- something Dogura was grateful for. Even the crowd clapped for the boy, including Tensei himself, who stood smiling behind the bars.

"Dogura Shadowblade wins! Dogura will advance to the next round! Congratulations Dogura!"

Shiro sat down and smiled. It was a heart-warming battle. No bloodshed either, which was always nice when two allies fought. I think I'm beginning to see... The reaper thought with a grin, just what Dogura sees in this kid.

Upon entering the hypogeum, Dogura and Suro were met by Andy, who was happy to see the both of them alright. "Hey there, that was some good fighting! From the both of you, well done!" The two accepted the man's compliments and sat down in their normal spots.

"Boy." Katsuro stated looking around. "This place sure is empty now." Dogura quietly nodded, and pulled out a cigarette. No telling how long these next fights would be.

"Next up, we have Namoni Sheoldrin, the wind mage, versus Kembo Heira, the soldier all the way from Nabooru!"

Dogura looked at Suro and Andy, "Either of you interested in seeing this?" He asked, both of them shaking their heads. "I'm worried about that Tensei guy, but nobody else," Andy added.

"Want to go get something to eat? I'm starved." The samurai asked. "It's on me."

Andy and Katsuro looked at each other, and smiled, and then back at Dogura. "Sure!" Andy responded.

"I'll have Shiro let us know when the last battle is being fought." The samurai ensured Suro, who followed behind Andy as they left the pit.

The three of them hurried through the the narrow passages, and into the hypogeum. Luckily, there had been some sort of intermission after the last battle, so they didn't miss a thing. All rested up, they pressed against the cage to see the crowd returning to their seats. They were all itching in anticipation over the coming battles.

Shiro listened intently to the conversations people were having.

"I think Cirrus is the only one who can hope to take on Tensei..."

"Andy is bomb, he'll wipe the floor with all of them."

"Tensei is simply in a league of his own. There is no hope for the other combatants."

"Dogura and Andy are both screwed. These are high-caliber mages here, what are they going to do with a sword? Who cares if Dogura can shadowmeld, Cirrus can bend the very shadows he travels through!"

The reaper closed his eyes, and sighed.

They're completely counting you out Dogura. I think you've been laying in the weeds long enough. Give them a show this time, will you?

Dogura caught the message crystal clear, and laughed shaking his head.

I don't care what they think. I'm not going all out unless I need to. It isn't important to me how entertained the crowd is. I'll do what's necessary and nothing more.

Shiro shut his eyes tightly at the response.

Such a stubborn person... What if I just wanted to see what he could do?

He shrugged his shoulders, as the announcer's voice boomed loudly throughout the stadium.

"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen! We have a hell of a showdown for you here. Who will survive: Tensei, the geomancer; Cirrus, caller of storms; Andy, the swordsman from the east; or Dogura, the mysterious samurai? Let's find out!!"

The crowd roared in response, and he announcer soon called out the first pairing.

"Dogura versus Andy!!"

The two both sighed at the same time.

Andy began walking to the arena, "I had a feeling it would come down to this." He stated as he walked. Dogura followed behind him silently. "But you know what?" Andy added, "I'm just glad I don't have to fight no stinkin' mage!" The two both laughed at this as they entered the arena.

This wasn't the fight that Dogura had hoped for- he dearly wanted to test himself against Tensei. It wasn't long before Dogura and Andy stood facing each other, weapons drawn.

Then came the word: "BEGIN!"

It was a rather boring battle to any unskilled swordsman who watched. To anyone who'd never held a blade before, it was simply two swordsman having a battle- but to the trained eye, it was much more. The two clashed, two very different fighting styles going head-to-head.

"You fight with the Hylian style at your back!" Dogura commented between the many strokes.

Andy fought true to the Hylian style. Strong but elegant strokes that demanded full attention- for each one was lethal. "Your style, samurai... It is unlike anything I've encountered..." The man responded as the battle put him on the defensive.

"It's an ancient art- I'm likely the last practitioner." Dogura stated as he pressed his opponent further back. The samurai was fully employing his Shadowclaw training at this point, and struck swiftly and continuously. The sounds of swords clashing became a constant noise as the battle raged on. The samurai smirked as he continued.

I'm not getting tired... I remember when old age was claiming me... This is great!
Andy didn't seem to be tiring either. The crowd cheered, though most of them had no idea what they were witnessing.

Shiro's Hylian ears perked up at the conversation taking place in front of him- a man who was no stranger to swordplay was astonished.

"What in tarnation... What kind of swordplay is the samurai using? I've never seen anything quite like it... It's a lot like Zora blade-training, but yet so much different at the same time..."

"What's so special about it?"

"You'd have to know a lot about traditional swordplay to understand- but this guy is truly unique. I think he's got more to him than we're giving him credit for..."

Shiro smiled. Even though Dogura wasn't deliberately trying to give the crowd a show, he was. At least a couple of them.

Andy began to sweat as the samurai's strokes increased in speed and intensity. Dogura was truly feeling the heat of battle. Occasionally, Andy would miss a block, and he'd taken a couple of minor cuts because of it. Finally, Andy leaped back, and exhaled. The minor break was a blessing for him.

"You're strong, samurai... I had no idea fighting you was like this..."

Dogura advanced towards him, his aura slightly darkening. "Like what?" He asked before striking again, not allowing Andy a chance to rest. The man immediately returned to trading blows with his opponent.

His aura... It's normal, but...

Tensei was deep in thought as he analyzed the battle.

Every now and then, something foul slips out... I can't figure him out...

"Getting tired?!" Dogura called out aggressively as he struck faster and faster.

Andy was sweating hard now, and was genuinely getting frightened. How is he not wearing out? Who is this guy? What kind of training does he go through to be like this?!

Suddenly, something happened that immediately brought everything that the crowd thought they knew about the samurai into question. At an inhuman speed, Dogura struck Andy directly in the forehead with the pommel of his sword, knocking the fatigued warrior to the ground. It happened so fast that only a few were able to track the strike.

What in the world happened to Andy?! Did he trip? Katsuro thought as he watched from the cage. Tensei's eyes narrowed at the samurai, as a twisted smile appeared on Dogura's face.

That man... There's something truly wrong here...

The crowd gasped at the speed of the strike. Shiro heard many conversations around him immediately bring the move into question.

Andy tried to get to his feet, but Dogura planted his foot firmly on the man's chest. Andy stared up at the samurai- the man seemed completely different from before.

"Dogura... What are you?"

The samurai raised his sword, and stared down at the man with eyes that didn't seem like his own. They were cold- devoid of passion, love, or sympathy.

"DOGURA AIMS TO FINISH IT!!"

"Dogura, no, I- I give up!!" Andy cried out as Dogura brought his blade down fast towards the man's chest.

Katsuro's eyes widened from where he stood. "DOGURA, NO!" He cried out gripping the cage. The samurai was seeing red- it was as if he wasn't himself. Shiro stood up, eyes wide with concern. Something indeed was wrong- Dogura would never attempt to strike down a pleading friend.

Suddenly, a brilliant golden flash knocked the blade from the samurai's hand. Andy remained on the ground trembling from the close encounter. Dogura's eyes fixed on the being that had saved his opponent's life.

Darkin stood over Andy, glaring at Dogura with such intensity that it snapped the samurai to reality. Dogura looked down at Andy, who stared back with bewildered eyes. Dogura looked down at his hands, and then at Darkin, who stared violently back at him.

"You were going to kill him, weren't you?" Darkin stated. It was more of an accusation than a question. The crowd was on their feet, everyone staring at the new being in the arena.

"Dogura... You said you could handle it. What was that?" Darkin asked angrily.

The samurai took a step back, and looked up at the audience. He looked down at where Darkin stood- the clouds parted above, allowing a beam of light to shine down on the Rito. That had been two lives that the feathered mage had saved recently. His feathers shined gallantly as took a couple of steps back.

"Think hard about what just happened Dogura..." He stated before he took flight, and exited the arena. Finally, the announcer addressed the situation.

"Minor security difficulties folks- we're doing our best to keep third parties out of the arena. Andy forfeits the match, making Dogura our winner!"

The crowd was silent. It was more of a shock than anything to see Dogura, the one who had spared both of his opponents thus far, attempt to strike down a man who pleaded surrender. Suro watched with confused eyes as Dogura looked around at the crowd. The samurai couldn't believe what had happened- he had almost killed his opponent without realizing it.

Shadowclaw... I forgot just how powerful you were... It appears that by not satiating your thirst for blood... I slowly lose control over you. Not even Ganon can completely contain you, I suppose. I'll do better to respect your thirst for battle.

He heard a deep rumble inside his head, as the demon turned and writhed within him. It demanded blood- sacrifice. Dogura ignored the calling for death, and retrieved his sword. He sheathed it before walking towards Andy, who still clutched the earth in disbelief. Dogura extended a hand to help him up- the man refused and clambered to his feet. He sheathed his sword, and shook his head at the samurai before storming out of the arena.

Dogura dropped into a shadow, disappearing from sight completely.

He'd need time to think...

"Why. Why did that happen? Tell me!!"

Several miles deep into the darkest shadows Dogura held his head in anger. He spoke harshly to Ganon, demanding answers.

"Explain!!"

Do not make demands of me, Dogura.

The samurai closed his eyes tightly.

"I... I wasn't in control back there... I didn't know what I was doing."

My, my... How soon we forget.

Dogura opened his eyes and stared into the inky darkness, and grabbed his chest. He could feel the demon- writhing around in agony.

You forget that your demon requires bloodshed. I gave you the power to better control its urges... Never once did I say that you could outright ignore them.

Dogura had indeed been neglecting the demon's urges as of late. The vagabond felt the beast inside of him screaming for blood... For death... For a macabre display of bloodthirsty rage, it corroded just under his skin, and just outside of his heart. It devoured his consciousness, and probed at his sanity.

Shadowclaw... It's a demon unlike any I have seen. Its power nearly rivals my own. If you want honesty Dogura, it is one of the only things in the known universe that I'm leery of.

The samurai felt the darkness wrapping its fingers around his mind.

The demon wants out, Dogura. Your will power alone can't contain it. The power I added makes it easier- but I'm afraid not even I can supress its urges for gore. Dogura, you need to remain calm long enough to fight and kill Tensei.

Dogura relaxed his mind, and calmed down. "Tensei doesn't seem like a bad man. Even if I kill him, he'll likely go to heaven instead."

You will rip his soul from his living body, and send him to me.

Dogura's eyes opened wide at this statement. "Excuse me?"

Before he dies, grab his soul. You have your orders.

"That's tampering with the natural order! The Goddesses won't have it!" Dogura exclaimed. "And besides that, how can I just rip out someone's soul in the middle of a crowded arena? You don't think that'll turn heads?"

The will of the Goddesses is of no concern to me. Do not fear the consequence of your actions on this day. Trust in me.

The vibration in Dogura's earrings faded, indicating that the monster had left the samurai alone in his infinite darkness. Dogura had regained control of the demon, but he couldn't know for certain how long he had before it resurfaced.

I've been through... So much.

It felt like the darkness was seeping into his skin from every direction. He curled up in a ball- he felt so alone- so much colder than he ever had. Side effects of Shadowclaw? Or simply the glare of the Goddesses upon him. He felt the eyes of his disappointed father burning into him. Judging him. Forsaking him.

I'm sorry, father.

The samurai suddenly melded out of the hypogeum floor. Katsuro whirled around and stared at him with different eyes than before. "Dogura..." He said, not finishing his sentence.

The samurai simply stared back sympathetically.

"Kid... You shouldn't be hanging around with me anymore." He finally stated.

It was easy to tell that the statement pained him. The boy's eyes made the silence in the air harder to bare than it had to be. The hypogeum was empty, and although Cirrus and Tensei were waging war outside, there was such heavy silence between Dogura and Suro that it was even louder than the fight outside.

"What happened out there? You almost killed Andy, and that Rito showed up again!" Katsuro yelled from across the room. Dogura said nothing back- the boy had every right to scream at the vagabond.

"If that golden Rito hadn't shown up, Andy would be dead!" He continued.

Dogura simply bowed his head, and accepted the scorn. "Katsuro... It was I this time... Who was out of line."

The boy was quiet at this, but breathing heavily. He understood what Dogura was saying. Everyone makes mistakes- even someone so seemingly perfect as Dogura the samurai. Suro dropped his arms at his side, and sat down on the elevated platform.

Dogura simply stood silently, debating many things in his mind. Even the call of the announcer outside was a muffled drone.

"You weren't yourself out there, Dogura... What happened?" Katsuro asked finally, breaking the silence. "And what do you mean I shouldn't be hanging around with you? You're not a bad influence or anything..."

Dogura stood still. No movement whatsoever. "Katsuro. I'm not who you think I am."

"Or are you?" The boy asked, "You seem like a great person to me. Skilled. Wise. Steady, and ready."

The samurai felt his emotions pushing the demon away from his heart.

"I'm a bad man Katsuro. I'm no sort of role model for someone so young."

"You're the closest thing to a father I've ever had." The boy screamed.

The samurai looked at the boy with hardened eyes. He gritted his teeth.

"I'm trying to do what's best for you!" The samurai cried out.

"To hell with what's best for me!!" The boy screamed back. "I want to learn more from you! To travel with you! Please take me as your apprentice!"

The samurai's eyes widened in shock at the request. Not to say he hadn't thought about it before- but he didn't expect Suro to ask, prideful as the boy was.

Dogura walked to the cage to witness Tensei leaving the arena- Cirrus' mangled body in the dirt.

"So it has come to this after all..." Dogura murmured. Katsuro's attention shifted to Tensei leaving the arena, and then back to Dogura. "You're not really going to fight him are you?" The boy asked, fearful for the samurai's safety.

Dogura smiled confidently. "I've been around the block a couple of times, boy. I think you're underestimating your new master."

The boy's eyes lit up at these words. Apprenticeship had been granted. It was everything he wanted. The boy's eyes grew glossy, and he saluted the samurai. "No-sir!"

Dogura's eyes turned back to the arena.

"With that concluded we have our two finalists everyone! Tensei versus Dogura! Who will be victorious? Let's- Oh? We have word that Tensei is feeling ill, and wishes to continue tomorrow!"

Dogura narrowed his eyes. Clever.

"The council has decided to let this stand, so long as Dogura, his opponent, is willing to fight tomorrow! If Dogura denies the request- Tensei will forfeit the match!"

Katsuro smiled at Dogura, "Look at that! You don't have to fight him at all! I knew he was too old for all this fighting. He's not sick, he's just tired!"

Dogura shook his head, "Don't be an idiot." The boy's face turned to concern. The samurai stared out of the hypogeum and into the arena.

"He's not sick, and he isn't tired..." Dogura added. "He's been watching my matches. He isn't underestimating me one bit." Katsuro tilted his head in question. Dogura grabbed one of the bars and closed his eyes- a heavy sigh escaped his mouth. "Tensei has recognized that under these cloudy conditions, this arena is a Sheikah's playground. He knows he's at a clear disadvantage." Katsuro's eyes widened at the observation.

"What? Unbelievable! I never would have guessed!" The boy exclaimed.

Suddenly the familiar Rito arena employee entered the hypogeum.

"Dogura. You may choose to accept or deny Tensei's request."

There was another long silence as Dogura stared out of the cages.

"Master, you don't have to fight him! You can win this with one simple word right now!"

The Rito's eyes remained locked on the side of Dogura's head.

Finally the samurai spoke, "I'll allow the fight to be rescheduled."

The Rito nodded, and hurried out of the hypogeum. Katsuro rubbed his eyelids with a pained look on his face.

Dogura turned around and looked at the boy, "I'm not backing down from this." His eyes were hardened- determined. The samurai's thoughts fell back on Ganon's foul voice.

Indeed... I have my orders.