"Coming in from the Red Gate! Hailing from the wastelands of the far North, the reigning champion of Chiaroscuro....Cage the Conquerer!"

The crowd roared as a massive man of 7 feet entered the arena, clad in silver armor.  Cage was a man of honor, a man who had a very favorable reputation amongst the commoners in Chiaroscuro.  Found under his right eye was a large scar given to him by his clan to the north to signify he had won the right to be their champion.  Cage had only been defeated once before.  You see, Cage is an exalted.  A drifter from land to the north who had found fame and fortune in this town ruled by the Tri-Khan

"And entering the Blue Gate.  The man who needs no introduction!  The #1 contender to the title of Chiaroscuro....Valkryste the Swift!"

The crowd became silent as a young man entered the arena.  Valkryste had always been hailed as one of the greatest fighters in Chiaroscuro, but there was still a lack of awe for his talents because of his age.  Being only 17 and having one of the most feared fighting styles in the arena wasn't necessarily the blend the crowds were used to.

"Who is this BOY? Please tell me my day is not going to be wasted on this BOY!"

An icy glare peared from Valkryst's eyes to the other end of the arena.  The crowd grew silent.  they knew of Valkryst's temperament when he was challenged and it was never a pretty sight.  Anger grew inside him, but the hate was subdued within seconds as he gained composure of himself to utter out the words, "come and get it old man!".

Cage charged him and drew his sword, a long broadsword dented and dulled a bit from his past battles.  It's edge was now fixed to split Valkryst, the enemy, in twain. Cage raged towards his target with ungodly speed, swinging his axe and screaming "DIE WEAKLING!"  His blade hit the ground and a dust cloud surrounded the mighty champion.  

"What the hell?" Cage mutterd as the dust settled.  There was no foe, no blood, no flesh hanging from the giant's blade.  The enemy had not been slain.

A small chuckle filled the air.  "Ahh Cage, you shouldn't put all your efforts into one attack my friend, the locals will get suspicious."  A grin filled his face as Valkryste stood behind his competitor.  Valksryste knew what Cage was, a fellow Exalted, one whose powers could easily surpass his.  "Now why don't we just fight like men, put our weapons down and show these nice people a good show?"

Cage filled with laughter as he replied, "Funny, little one, but you DIE this day! ARGGHHH!"  Another charge came as Cage lifted his mighty blade.  Alas, once again the blade found air and dust as Valkryste leaped over him and landed behind him.

"Now Cage, we can do this the easy way...or we can do this the not-so-easy-but-more-entertaining-way."  Valkryste responded in his always semi-arrogant way.

Cage glared back at him and charged once more. "We end this...NOW!"  His blade charged with a brief energy it seemed as though Valkryste only saw and a swirl of attacks leaped towards the young fighter.  Dodging the near-fatal blows with cat-like speed, Valkryste leaped beyond the giant's melee range.  "This is it boy, now you die!"

Rearing back his great blade, Cage let out a giant roar as he charged.  The crowd screamed in a frenzy, waiting for blood to be spilled and their champion to take his next victim.  With the swing of his sword, valkryste leaped into the air and cage slammed into the arena wall.  With unnatural speed, Valkryste charged the champion and with a mighty scream pummeled him with a flying kick into the cold arena walls.  The crowd became silenced as Cage fell to his knees, sliding down the tall steel wall and leaving a trail of blood across the wall.

Valkryste, caught off guard, jumped back.  What he saw was a man...impailed by his own sword.  The battle had happened so fast, the next minute seemed an eternity as he watched the former champion convulse on the arena floor.  The crowd roared and the new champion was announced, but all was silenced in Valkryst's mind as he stood knowing that one of his own, and Exalted, had fallen...