Polo' treads Canopy gripped the rope and dropped into the War Garden's training pit. The Shadow Jungle chimp had come to prove something. His people were the finest warriors in any realm, and he would show the world. Arena championships waited across the land. Each victory would carry his tribe's name further. He rolled his shoulders and felt the weight of his curved blade. The first tournament began at sundown. The crowds gathered as he walked through the stone archway. Red and black sand covered the arena floor. Chained skeletons lined the walls like warnings. This was the Bone Ring, where champions proved themselves in the Iron Games. Polo' scanned the massive coliseum. Other fighters waited in the shadows, but none had trained like he had. None carried the Shadow Jungle's pride on their shoulders. He stepped onto the sand and drew his blade. The horn sounded across the ring. His first test had arrived, and he would not fail his tribe. A massive gate rose on the far side. His opponent emerged, dragging a spiked club through the sand. Polo' shifted his stance and remembered the training palus back at his camp. He had spent months striking the steam-powered dummy, testing combinations on the metal spikes and rope targets. Every drill had prepared him for this moment. The crowd roared as the fighters circled each other. Polo' watched his opponent's feet and waited for the right opening. His blade felt light in his grip. The fighter charged. Polo' sidestepped and brought his curved blade across in a swift arc. Metal rang against metal as the club deflected his strike. Sand kicked up around their feet. The crowd noise faded to nothing in his ears. Only the fight mattered now. He struck again, faster this time, and his blade found flesh. His opponent stumbled back, blood darkening the red sand. Polo' raised his weapon high as the crowd erupted. One victory down, and the Shadow Jungle's name rang through the Bone Ring.