Once the Heroes had regrouped, they looked up to the large seating platform. The fantastically dressed man looked down at them with utter disdain. Their antics had removed all of the other competitors. Not only that, the creatures in the cages had been subdued by the small skeletons before they could even be set loose. The entire spectacle had been thrown into chaos. There could be no further rounds of competition.

The Jester pointed at the fantastically dressed man, as if asking for him to award them their prize. What he received in response was not the large red jewel, but the fantastically dressed man storming away shouting. This was immediately followed up by the sound of loud horns. These were not triumphant, but rather a gathering of guards. They flooded the arena, quickly surrounding the Heroes.

The Heroes readied their weapons once more, facing down dozens of guards. The Female Combatant nervously readied her damaged axes, unsure of how they would get through this new predicament. She knew the Heroes were strong, but fighting an unorganized group of mercenaries and arena hopefuls was much different than an organized royal guard.

As the guards began to close in on the Heroes, a loud cracking sound could be heard from just outside the arena. The crowd erupted in a wave of panic, their joyous cheers for the battle turning into terrified screams as the first signs of danger rippled through the arena. Spectators in the stands scrambled to their feet, pushing and shoving, desperate to escape the impending catastrophe.

As they made way, a large blast shot through the stands sending pieces of debris falling onto the arena. One unfortunate combatant was hit across the face with. piece of stone, sending blood and the remainder of both of his teeth flying into the dirt. A massive hole had been blown into the arena from the outside.

As the dust cleared, the Heroes saw a figure standing in the newly formed gap. The Warrior Hero triumphantly walked into the arena, happy to see his old friends again. As he did so, other shadows emerged behind him. Old friends that the Heroes had met on their journey had joined the Warrior Hero on his trek, eager to assist those that had helped them.

It was a sight to behold, and the crowd watched on in terror. Though they feared for their safety, they could not look away. The ragtag gang made their way into the arena behind the royal guards, ready for combat. The royal guards had been sure of their position, but now found themselves outnumbered. They threw down their weapons in defeat.

Thank you so much to Jerry for the conversation! Please go check out his work using the links below:

The CloakRoom #1-3 -HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY Kickstarter

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