ORIGIN

AND HERE WE HAVE ONE, THE LITTLE HUNTER!

And what entered the ring next was truly a little hunter. A long, weaselly creature just a little smaller than a housecat. Greyish tan marked with dark brown stripes nearly blended into the sandy floor of the arena, contrasted only by the vivid green chunks of crystal replacing an ear, and eyes of a similar color. He walked slowly- was that because of caution, or the limp caused by a twisted back leg?

Truthfully it was both.

The arena looked nearly empty, if not for the massive red sail poking above the sand and the head of the creature it belonged to. That head alone was nearly as big as he was, and there was no telling how big the rest of this creature was. hidden beneath the sand.

Clearly this 'Nemean' did not choose matches based on fairness.

When jaws raised above the sands, he expected them to come lunging at him. Not to just.. talk. He blinked. "Uh, yeah. Good luck to you too." not that she needed it, not this round at least. "And I'll try to make this a little interesting." If that was the most he could do before being chomped in half.

But hey! At least it'd be a gentle chomping.

And then she submerged completely, the only sign of her being a massive, rapidly approaching mound in the sand. It became clear he couldn't outrun the thing- he was far better at sprints than marathons, after all. All he got as a warning was a vibrant sail, a shift in the sands, and a massive beast suddenly leaping from the sands.

He darted out the way just in time to miss being hit by however many pounds of airborne shark. Then, he decided to do something risky (and potentially, stupid.) Hed dart forward, attempting to climb onto the back of the sandshark. Time to turn this deathmatch into a bull riding contest.

Except his feet slipped on smooth scales meant for sliding through sand, and back he tumbled onto the dusty arena floor.

He rolled back to his feet, just in time to see a clawed arm swing towards him. He ducked, feeling the breeze of it as it whiffed right over his head. Already there were way too many close calls in this fight. At least it was better than the alternative of actually getting hit.

But he'd seen some of the other fights, and how they'd ended. Either one of them would end it, or that great beast with the crackling electricity and purple-black fire would end it for them. He wasn't sure which he'd prefer. At least getting his bones broken was somewhat familiar.

But he would be going down without a fight, and fight he intended to do. While the big fish-thing (Galleon, wasn't it?) was above the sand and within reach. He darted around, trying to avoid those big chompers while getting at the soft, unarmored portion of her underjaw and neck. Even the least protected part of the sandshark was covered in thick skin that was tough to pierce. Even still, he tasted the metallic tang of blood on his tongue.

He could already feel the soreness of his front leg beginning to bloom into something more. Not now Not now. Any other time than now, really. His entire strategy was built on running away from the giant armored beast trying to crush him to death. Without speed he was a sitting duck.

Then a head the size of his entire body and more than twice the weight slammed into him, knocking the breath out of him and sending a streak of pain burning across his chest. He grit his teeth in pain, eyes watering, and tried to cling to the sandshark's head.

Wheezing with the effort, he managed to clamber onto Galleon's head. Civets were made for climbing, after all, even if One himself didn't have much experience.

He clung on for dear life, made difficult by the pain rushing through his system. Atleast he was safe from that bone-cryshing bite. Or anything else the oversized fish could throw at him for that matter.

He heard Galleon take a deep breath, and then they began to move into the sands.

Well, shoot.

There was barely any time to react at all. Hed try to jump off the sand shark's face before he risked being submerged in the sand.

Too slow.

Luckily his head was above sand. Unluckily, that was the only part above the sand. The crushing pressure exasperated the wounds hed already acquired, and made it harder to breath. He gasped in pain and desperation for air, trying in vain to unearth himself.