This is a short story of mine that I wrote a while back. It was originally in two parts. I'm still playing with the altering perspective of the story so if you have a recommendation for a better way to set this up please don't hesitate to review.

She was standing alone in a dark, stone room. A tall, oak door loomed threateningly in front of her. A small stream of light coming from the crack between the door and the ground was the only thing that pierced the blackness around her. It glared off the iron armor she wore. Her mouth was parched and the sword leaden in her hand. Somewhere behind the door trumpets sounded and a crowd cheered wildly. The heavy door swung open and the light from the stadium beyond it momentarily blinded her.

He walked alone on a quiet, dusty road just outside of the city. If you saw him he might look like the average traveler; shaggy, brown hair, soft blue eyes, a worn cotton tunic, buckskin pants, and a long object wrapped in strips of cloth on his back. His boots kicked up clouds of dust as he walked. Everything was bone-dry, for it hadn't rained since the war ended. People's livestock were starving and their crops had long since withered away. The only joy people found these days was at the coliseum's games. People from miles around came to watch warriors fight to the death. Up ahead a huge stone arena towered over an excited crowd of spectators. He wove quickly through the crowd, not wanting to draw unwanted attention and found himself on a stone bench in the very back of the stands.

She slowly walked to the center of the arena. It was about the size of a football field and the wall surrounding it was taller than five average height men. The ground was dry and dusty and the sun beat mercilessly down on her. The crowd was unaffected because they sat in the shade of the stand's canopy. A servant wearing a threadbare tunic emerged leading a winged beast. One might have thought that the creature was a horse if it hadn't been so heavily plated with shining steel armor. The only things visible on it were its razor sharp hooves and wild bloodshot eyes. She climbed into its saddle and sat up strait and proud. They had taken away her life trying to break her spirit but they never could. They chose to make her into an example for the people instead. Behind her a drum began to beat in tune with her heart.

He listened solemnly as a disembodied voice announced that there would be a special competitor in the gladiator game. A prisoner captured during the war and had now lost all her usefulness to the empire. His blood ran cold as he was jostled by the crowd. Drums beat, horns sounded, and a huge wooden door opened on the far end of the arena. A woman emerged from behind the door. She walked slowly, scanning the crowd. Even from this far away he would recognize her anywhere.

She turned to face an enormous iron gait. The gate began to rise and with a final boom of the drum a hush fell over the crowd. A small squadron of men emerged leading two golden cat-like creatures. They chained them to the wall and advanced on the woman, brandishing their swords. A horn blew and they charged. The crowd erupted into a cheering frenzy and some of the men in the arena also broke into some of their own battle cries. She dug her heels into her mounts side and raced towards them. She swung her sword left and right at the men, fending them off with ease. It was clear that her swordsmanship was unequaled. Even being as outnumbered as she was she was still able to hold her own. Breathing hard, she pulled away from the fight, unnoticed for the moment. Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching for something, or someone. Suddenly the men that were still alive retreated back through the iron doorway. She looked around the arena, confused, and saw what had caused the men to flee. The cat-like creatures that were chained to the wall had been release and were very angry. One of the cats leapt towards her and tore her from her mount. While she was falling she brandished her sword and used the cat"s own momentum to drive it deep into the beast's heart. It died instantly. Its legs gave out and collapsed on top of her. She squirmed out from under it and stood up, sword at the ready, to take on the other great cat.

Standing up he began to push his way through the crowd. Some people spat at his feet when they recognized his nationality, some grabbed at the pack on his back, and others simply shoved him back. The sound of fighting and clanging steel grew closer as her grew nearer to the edge of the wall. Suddenly the noise stopped and he could hear men shouting and running in retreat. His head was throbbing as the people screamed that she had killed the first cat. He unstrapped the pack from his back and frantically began to unwrap it.

Instead The Cat leapt on her from behind. The force of the blow knocked her off her feet and tore her chest plate and sword from her and sent them flying. She managed to take the shield from one of the dead men lying around her and raised it up in a futile effort to deflect the cat's attack. It pounced on top of her, its teeth raking across the metal shield. Angered at this delay it swung its paw and batted away the shield as if it were insulted that she thought that it would protect her from its might. She punched at its nose, still trying to fight it off. It hurt, but only enough to cause the cat to pin her arms to the ground and dig its razor sharp claws into her skin. Weakened from battle and the blood seeping from her wounded arms she had no strength left to fight death. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the final, deadly blow. But before the cat could bend down and end it all someone leapt from the stands.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of gold as the second cat pounced on the girl. She had lost her sword and armor and was trying to fend off its blows with a small metal shield. As expected, it didn't last long. The cat batted the shield away and pinned her arms to the ground. He acted purely on instinct and leapt from the top of the wall and hit the ground running.

With blinding speed he jumped into the air, raced across the stadium, and sliced off the monster's head. Ignoring the blood soaked dirt he knelt down by the girl's side. Her eyes flickered open as he removed the helm from her head. He was very handsome, with dark brown hair that fell in shaggy locks around his angular face and deep, ocean blue eyes. He reached down and brushed a loose strand of light brown hair out of her eyes. She blinked away tears that were running down her bloodstained cheeks. "You came back…" she whispered.

"Of course I came back," he smiled, eyes swimming with emotion. He lifted her up, swung his sword onto his back and they left through the main gate to the outside world. The two gazed at the sky and saw lightning slice through the darkened sky and, with a loud clap of thunder, rain began to pour openly from the tear laden sky.