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No one really expected much from the tiny thing that wandered into the Colosseum. They didn’t look very strong, and their nail was small, though it was meticulously polished and sharpened.
No one expected much from the little one, yet they surpassed the entire Colosseum’s expectations, beating the first and second trial with ease and then cutting their way through the third with no trouble at all.
Then in came their Champion, God Tamer no her mighty beast. None had yet bested her in combat. Would the newcomer be able to do it?
The answer, it turned out, was yes.
The tiny thing—no, the tiny warrior —leaped and rolled and ducked and dodged, landing well-aimed blows on both bug and beast while remaining out of reach. Finally, the beast grew tired, collapsing where it stood, catching its breath as its master fought on.
Unlike the beast, God Tamer was not ready to give up. She twirled and leaped and slammed her lance into the dirt, but each time she swung the warrior would dash away. Once, they even dashed right through her! The audience waited with bated breath for a winner to emerge.
Like her beast, God Tamer grew tired and dropped to a knee. The warrior wasn’t fazed, standing and waiting for her to recover.
God Tamer, on the other hand, was eye-to-eye with the warrior know that she was kneeling. Whatever she saw must have sparked some kind of motherly instinct in her, because she slowly approached and, upon seeing no hostile response, scooped them up, holding them high in the air as the audience roared with applause.
Their mask needed some improving, but otherwise the little warrior would fit right in.
***
From then on, the warrior—named Ghost, apparently, according to a spider-like girl in red—was a staple part of the Colosseum of Fools. They were given a seat right next to Lord Fool—a place of honor reserved for only the best, and their little warrior deserved only the best.
Ghost, it turned out, quite liked Geo, and enjoyed throwing it into the arena. A Fool always had to be watching to make sure they didn’t throw their Geo in too early—once a challenger was hit in the head with a coin and promptly fell backwards into the spikes!
In between challenges, they let Ghost run around in the arena. Some Fools, indulging in their inner children, would play little games of tag with Ghost. Once God Tamer even joined in, quickly gaining on Ghost and tagging them, resulting in a two-person back-and-forth that lasted hours before Ghost finally gave up, flopping over onto the dirt in defeat.
The whole Colosseum laughed, picking the tiny warrior up and bringing them to their seat. God Tamer giggled before readying her beast for the next trial.
One day, a short bug that looked uncannily like Ghost wandered into the Colosseum. He certainly talked a big game, boasting of his strength and achievements. No one took him seriously. He had a nail made of shellwood , for Lord Fool’s sake! Even the weakest of the Fools at least had blades of iron!
Either way, they let this bug enter the arena. He walked on in, chest puffed and chin high. He faltered at the empty arena, but kept going until he stopped in the center.
“Where are my opponents?” he demanded.
“‘Zote the Mighty’, was it?” one Fool asked. “You speak of your conquests in life. We were… setting up a proper challenge for someone of your caliber .”
Zote seemed to puff up even more. The idiot couldn’t even recognize sarcasm…
“We ultimately decided on sending our baby Champion to battle you.”
Zote had the nerve to look insulted. “Your what? Baby Champion?!”
“Yes,” the Fool said, frustrated with Zote’s arrogance. Even the newer Fools never reached this level of hubris! “The baby Champion we speak of is very strong indeed, but shouldn’t prove a challenge if you speak the truth. Let them in!”
The gates opened. Ghost, wearing their new mask and brandishing their tiny nail, charged at Zote, sending him flying with only one strike.
As any child would, Ghost stared with wonder at how easily they knocked Zote away, and pounced on the new information like a hungry Stalking Devout. They swatted Zote this way and that, eventually finding a rhythm and not even letting the poor bug touch the ground.
Eventually they grew bored of the new game and let him fall. Zote ended up upside down with a horn stuck in the ground, muttering curses under his breath.
The Colosseum howled in laughter, cheering for their little Champion. Ghost made a show of it, bowing to them and even twirling in place. They jumped up and down in joy as the Fools threw Geo into the arena, running about and scooping it up. They’d give it back later, when the thrill of battle wore off and everything was somewhat calm again.
A few Fools carted Zote off, and God Tamer rushed into the arena, scooping Ghoat up into her arms and twirling around with them, whooping in joy.
Indeed, a wonderful day in the Colosseum.