Ragachu is a Gorilla from a barbarian tribe in what was Africa. He was taken to be a pit fighter in the Celestial City when he was a teenager. He has fought in the pits evers since. Not long ago, he was once again brought from the Stasis Pits to fight in the Arena. He knows that there are many slaves held in the Stasis pits. It's cheaper than having to feed them during long periods of little or no tribute.
Last year the city began to buzz with activity. It had stopped over land and near a large city that could serve it. He was sent out as a groundling fighter in the action to recover the Glass Ship. He had no particular wish to fight for the Celestial City, since he regarded them as harsh masters. He hated them and would willingly strike any blow to bring them down. Because of them, he would never see his family again. He had no idea even how many years had passed, or whether they would even still be alive. He did not even know where in the world he was.
More intelligent than the average gladiator, he did not believe their propaganda that they would be given women and spoils of the conquest, nor that the Tallonese were baby-eaters, etc. Some of the gladiators took to it, others declined, only to face harsh punishment. Those who agreed were ones whom the city had long ago psychically probed and cofirmed their loyalty under a given set of circumstances.
He had no idea why they believed him when he said that he was willing to fight, when in reality he wanted nothing more than to escape. Still, the psychist who evaluated him, one Merlin by name, pronounced him loyal enough for ground service.
Onc ethe action was underway, the first thing he sought to do was to desert and strike out on his own. The desertion was easy enough; the lines were ragged and confused. This was obviously not a well-prepared battle. The city forces looked like they were reacting out of surprise, anger and yes, fear. He was able to slip away without notice.
Once away, however, he quickly became aware of the harshness of the terrain. The swamps and jungle into which he had run were filled with gators, monsters and other dangers. Perhaps his masters had not been so unswise as he had thought. There really wasn't anywhere to run to. He briefly thought about rejoining the forces of the Celestial City, to try and find some better time at which to turn upon them, when he came across the Paladin. Jerrick was wounded, and bearing Gilead. These people were obviously enemy soldiers. He tried to surrender to the man, in the hopes of being taken prisoner, but the man did not trust him. He offered to tell what he knew of the Celestial City in return for being given good treatment and amnesty. Reluctantly, the Paladin agreed, but only after Ragachu gave him some of the info he knew, which admittedly was not much. Gladiators were not privy to state secrets, but he told what he could. The thing which most interested the Paladin was the existence of the Stasis Pits. Ragachu assured him that there were hundreds of fighters there in suspension, many of whom bore hatred for their masters. But they were only released in small rotating groups. There were never enough of them mobile or with the communication and organization enough to revolt.
The Paladin led him to a spot far from the battle lines, and left him with a Tallonese scouting party. Jerrick would go ahead and make a report.
Ragachu waited uneasily while the soldiers regarded him with suspicion. Would they believe him? He was worried, He had pretty much told all he knew to the Paladin in order to gain his trust. He had no further cards to play whould they demand further proof of his usefulness. Still, he had cast the die.
Eventually a runner came from the hidden base of the Tallonese. Ragachu had been granted amnesty, in return for the information he had given. He was to be escorted back to the base for further debriefing. The soldiers around him relaxed. On even introduced him to a leaf they smoked, called tobacco.
They were taking him through unmarked jungle pathways when disaster struck. The Celestial City had found the other entrance to the Tallonese base. They were cut off. Worse, they were being caught in a pincer as Celestial reinforcement came from behind. Ragachu decided if he was in for a banana, he was in for the bunch. He helped the Tallonese soldiers and tore into Celestial forces like a, well, like an enraged bull gorilla. The fighting became more chaotic and confused. It was raining and visibility was poor. Eventually, a blow brought him down, and darkness closed over him.
He awoke aboard the Celestial City. Apparently all the forces in the area had been wiped out and he was found on the battlefield long after the fact. They ahd assumed he had fallen in service of the city and had gathered him up. No one was aware of his "treachery". Or were they? He had heard of the cruel games the Seraphs and Nephil played upon the groundlings. Was he merely being given an illusion of safety, only to have it pulled from underneath him?
As the weeks went on, he deiced he must be safe. He learned of the things that had transpired that fateful day he was awakened. How the most high had been struck down by the hand of someone named Gilead. How an assassination plot had included several popular gladiators. How many of them were tortured by the Most High for their part in the plot. He also saw how the promises of spoils, women and increased freedom had been ignored by the Seraphim.
Quietly, he began to echo the stories told by others. How the Celestials were not omnipotent. How they could be defeated. How brave men and beasts could stand against them. He lost the taste for gladiatorial combat, not that he had ever been consumed by the bloodlust that some of them obviously thrived upon. Eventually, he was pitted in a no-ressurection match. He had had enough. He threw his sword at the image of Helios in frustration, crying "Death to the Most High! No more will I kill for you! Rise up against the demons and be free!" The sword must have come close, for he was not voided on the spot. He was to be slain in a spectacular way upon Helios' birthday celebration. He was told that his screams of agony would be a counterpoint to the praises sung to the Most High.
Until then, he was to be returned to the Stasis Pits until the day came.
His last memory was of being taken to the shallow pits where gladiators and other momentarily unneeded slaves were held. He saw their bodies in the pit, frozen in mid fall. He had heard rumors that they did not actually stop, but merely fell more and more slowly, never reaching the bottom. Chains were placed upon him, secured to a harness. He fought and received a viscious blow from Lucaius, the slave master. Or was it? Lucaius' claws could have ripped him open. As he knelt there on the edge, gasping for breath he saw the sneering visage of the diabolus draw to mere inches of his own face. Though the pitmaster's face held nothing but contempt. The quiet words whispered to hm were entirely different: "Courage. Hope is not lost. Hold strong and your day may yet come. You are not forgotten." Then the diabolus rose and kicked him into the pit. Above him the lights flickered and sound dampenedÉ
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