The Test of Strength

Deep under the Ostril Empire, there was a mine. In that mine, there were diamond dogs slaves, pony slaves, and even dragon slaves. The foreman, Olen (who was a muscular black dragon), watched over them all with an iron fist, punishing the lazies and tired harshly.

However, on this particular work day, it was the Emperor that came down to watch over the slaves.

Necriever walked up to the foreman with a relaxed look, "Olen, how are the slaves doing today?"

The dragon smirked, "Doin' well, Necriever. I haven't seen a single one of them be lazy since last week." Necriever nodded in approval, folding his arms and looking down upon the hardworking slaves.

Necriever and Olen go way back, all the way to when Necriever first crash-landed on Equis. They hated each other at first, but soon became best friends long before Necriever's banishment. They went on a long adventure across the world until they finally landed at the Frozen North. But that's a story for another time, for now, the Emperor wants something important.

"Tell your slaves to line up, I have a proposition for them." Necriever whispered into Olen's ear. Olen nodded, yelling at the slaves to stop working and line up in front of the Emperor. Once they were finished, which took all of five minutes because they were tired as all hell, Necriever walked back and forth like a Sergeant in the military, "I'm sure you're all glad you're not working today, yes?" They all said yes in a tired fashion, "Good, because what we're doing today is going to be a lot more strenuous than working in a mine all day." The group groaned.

"Oi! Listen to yer Emperor when he's talkin'!" Olen shouted at the slaves. They complied, staying silent.

The Emperor continued, "Today, you are all going to fight in the new arena built next to the palace. There will be... let me count..." He counted the heads of the ponies and dragons, "Four teams, each carrying five people. You will have to use your teamwork and smarts to defeat your opponents. The winning team will follow me back to the palace to get some food and rest, while the losers will go back to work in the mine." The slaves looked at each other nervously, one dragon actually biting his nails. "Not to worry, this is just for fun. Enjoy yourselves! There will be more events like this in the future! But for now, this one is important."

"Here that, slaves?" Olen rhetorically asked, "You can earn yer freedom if yer team wins!" The slaves cheered, which echoed around the large mine.

Two Hours Later: Ostril Arena

The arena was large, with five teams behind a barred metal room opposite of the Emperor. The seats in the stands were packed with cheering spectators ranging from Dragons to Ponies, some from foreign nations and some native to the Empire. The Emperor stood on a tall pedestal that had a curved rail, preventing him from falling. He had two guards on each side of him; both were red dragons in steel armor, ready to protect the Emperor in a split second.

Necriever looked upon the cheering spectators with a stern look, then turned to his guards. "Once I signal them to quiet down, I suggest that you get ready for fighting in the crowds; different species in one arena is bound to have some backfires." They nodded, and the Emperor nodded back. He then turned to the crowd, and with a wave of his hand, they quieted down, shushing each other so they could hear him speak. "Foreigners and loyal citizens, we have come here under great circumstances; the first event in our new arena!" The crowd cheered, and the Emperor, "Yes, yes, it is a great thing. But first, let us introduce our fighters!" On the opposite side of the arena, a barred gate made itself known by opening with a loud groan. The first group, which held three diamond dogs and two young colts, walked out with a fearless look, though Necriever could easily tell they were afraid. "Introducing the Blue Team, holding three Diamond Dogs and two young Colts!" The crowd cheered.

The second walked out, holding four Dragons and a Diamond Dog. "Introducing Team Green, full of four Dragons and a Diamond Dog!" The crowd cheered even louder.

The third ran out, revealing five Ponies, each different from the other. "Introducing Red Team, holding five Ponies!" The Emperor looked behind him and glared at Olen, who shrugged. Necriever never should've been in charge of sorting out the teams; come on, five Ponies on the same team?

The fourth slowly walked out, all Diamond Dogs. The Emperor sighed, "Introducing Team Yellow, full of only Diamond Dogs." The crowd politely clapped.

Finally, the fifth walked out, revealing... FIVE YOUNG COLTS?! The Emperor bit his tongue and prevented himself from electrocuting Olen for this. "Introducing Team Black, holding five young pony colts." The crowd gasped and looked at the Emperor with a glare. "Don't look at me, blame Olen! He was in charge of this!" The crowd did so, glaring at Olen and he smiled sheepishly.

Necriever sighed, looking down at the teams, "Welcome, slaves! You are here to fight for your freedom! Let me discuss the rules and rewards before we begin, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer, "Rule one: no fire or other weapons! This is a melee fight with appendages only. Anything not connected to your body cannot be used until I say so." The teams nodded, "Rule two: murder is against the rules!" The team full of Dragons groaned and the Emperor got angry, "WHINE ONE MORE TIME AND YOU'LL GET SENT BACK TO THE MINES, DRAGONS!" The Dragons stopped, fear in their eyes. Necriever sighed, "Anyways, the reason is because there will be more events like this, and we will need competitors." The Emperor's look softened, "Now for the rewards! If you win, you will come with me to my palace where you will get food and rest. If you lose, you'll get sent back to the mines." The teams nodded.

His plan was working so far, "Now, let the games begin!"

Each team went after the other, attacking with their brute force. The five young colts on Team Black all jumped on a dragon from Team Green, biting his claws and punching him in the face. The Emperor looked over to Team Blue, seeing that the only ones left standing in that team were the two young colts.

Three minutes later

There was one Dragon from Team Green and a young colt from Team Blue, both staring at the other. Suddenly, the Dragon charged, quickly grabbing the colt by the throat with anger. The colt coughed and gagged, which was when the Dragon opened his mouth! Necriever saw this, setting his hands on the rail of the pillar he was standing on. Then the dragon took a deep breath, fire welling up in his stomach.

That's when the Emperor took action...

Necriever used the Force to choke the Dragon, stopping it from killing the young colt. He then threw the Dragon at the arena wall. "I said NO KILLING!" He shouted, walking over to the Dragon.

The Dragon got up and glared at Necriever, "So what?! Rules are meant to be broken, Emperor!" The crowd gasped.

Necriever's eyes narrowed, "You're walking on some very thin ice, Dragon."

The Dragon laughed, "And what're you gonna do about it, huh? You're just a one creature, and I'm a mighty Dragon!" The Dragon said pompously.

Necriever gritted his teeth, using the Force to choke the Dragon. "I am going to kill you, that's what." Necriever then used his free hand to electrocute the cruel Dragon. The screams were satisfying to Necriever, but to the colt, it was horrifying. As the screams died out, the crowd went silent, looking on in awe and horror.

Necriever dropped the roasted Dragon and turned to the crowd with a stern look. "That's what happens to Rule Breakers." He then turned to the colt, putting his hands out to him. "Our winner!" The crowd cheered, and left soon after.

As soon as the arena was empty, Necriever crouched down to the colt, who shrunk back in fear. "No need to worry, child, I am not going to hurt you. I am here with two simple questions; first, what happened to your group?"

The colt looked at the ground sheepishly, "I was abandoned by the Diamond Dogs, who said that I was weak. But the other pony stayed by my side until that Dragon came by and knocked him out."

Necriever smiled, "Who do you want to bring with you, child?"

The colt looked around, before looking back at the Emperor, "I only want to bring the other pony with me, please."

Necriever nodded, "Then that's what we will do." He stood up and ordered a nearby guard to escort the colt to the palace while he searched for the other pony on Team Blue. He eventually found him and carried him back to the castle, an evil smile hidden behind his respirator.

The events were going as he had planned...