Beast v. Horunes.  

        "The time has come patrons and noble guests!" the voice booms
throughout the Arena.  The bustling of this day's gathering slows as the
Arena's patrons find their seats.  Within a few minutes the only movement is
from a well-coordinated team of servants.  Like a hive of ants, they weave
throughout the stands serving drinks and collecting the influx of gold to
fatten the Lord Mayor's coffers.

        "Today," the voice booms above the crowd, "our eyes will hold fast
the images of mortal combat, the likes never seen before.  Two giants,
warriors of heart, blood, and muscle shall enter.  This promises to be a
grisly battle, not for the faint of heart."  At this the crowd roars into
laughter.  The multitudes presenting tankards and goblets of drink into the
air with hearty cries.

        At either end of the massive Arena, the double doors begin to open.
Compared to the brightly shining sun, the passages within are pitch black.
Movement can be seen as two massive forms shift in the door's shadows.

        The voice continues after a suitable pause, "Our first competitor
known as the grand hunter, master of the wilds, hails from the mighty race
of the Giff.  Known for valor and his martial prowess, I present Horunes!"
At this, an enormous bulk of creature steps into the Arena.  Clad not in
armor, but rather a khaki vest, trousers, and hunter's hat, the giant almost
completely dominates the doorway.  Clearing almost twice that of a human's
height and the same distance in the great width of his muscled shoulders,
Horunes lets a great smile part his lips.  In the gleam of the sunlight, the
massive hippo-man (though few would dare refer to him as such to his face)
bears a wickedly honed gleaming axe.  Its blade the size of a man's chest
and its haft would reach the behemoth's waist.  In either hand, Horunes
bears a large foaming mug.

        "And his mortal foe.  Hailing from the harsh realm of Athas, much
more need not be said.  A world that births the most powerful warriors in
the known worlds, I present Beast!"  Opposite the great Giff, the darkness
of the open Arena doors bears another massive contestant.  Standing nearly
12 feet tall, the mammoth ducks under the door frame and extends his frame
to its full imposing height.  Clad fully in a massive suit of plate, which
seems to glow of its own, Beast's arms -easily as thick as the Arena guards'
chests- cradle a massive hammer stained with the blood of former foes.

        "Gaze upon these mighty warriors and let this day bring forth a
river of blood the Arena has never seen before!"

        With the introductions the crowd erupts into a massive frenzy.
Shouts to kill and maim rain down upon the contestants as their lust for a
bloody battle becomes evident.

        "Chop his stinkin' head off!!!"

        "Crush his hippo-faced snout!!!"

        "Tear 'em apart!!!"

        "BEGIN!!!" the announcer booms, his voice amplified to drown out
everyone and everything.

        "Let us share this ale in good faith before our combat and may the
gods smile upon us that we may fight a great battle on this day!"  The
booming voice of Horunes rolls across the Arena.  Shouts of surprise and
fervor explode from the crowd!

        Beast immediately holds up a hand when Horunes enters the Arena and
with a booming voice declares, "I'll drink after the fight!"  Beast then
puts down his massive hand and disappears.  The crowd goes wild!

        To the spectators, Beast's form is not hard to follow.  From where
he stood, he ceased to exist only to reappear a scant few feet behind
Horunes.  As though Horunes heard the his massive foe or felt Beast's
imposing presence, the Giff warrior let both mugs fall to the dusty floor
and with practiced skill drew the glimmering axe from his back to ward off
Beast's assault.

        But it was too late!  The first blow of Beast's massive maul was
already half-way to Horunes.  With a resounding clamor of metal upon metal,
Horunes' body is rocked by the attack.  From his thigh a well of blood and
split flesh erupt like a volcano.  Immediately, Beast shifts his bulk
-moving amazingly fast- to attack again.  This blow sending an ear splitting
ring as the maul's head is deflected by Horunes' khaki vest.  Recovering the
maul, Beast brings around and back lining up for an overhead smash.  With
enough force to bury the Giff where he stood the maul's decent is arrested
by a flash of silver -a few mere inches from Horunes' head.  The Giff, now
recovered from the brutal initial attack, stands with his great axe locked
above, holding the maul at bay.  But only for a second, with a deft twist,
Beast reverses the weapon's direction and brings it sailing toward Horunes'
chest.  Horunes' axe is not quick enough and only manages to deflect the
blow into his already wounded leg.  Where blood had pooled in the previous
cratering blow amid Horunes' thigh and khaki pants, it now splashed in all
directions, covering both contestants and a massive area of the Arena floor.

        Both combatants, fighting to stand in the slippery ooze of blood and
dust, have only begun to fight.  Though wounded, Horune's broad face darkens
and Beast's face bears a wide grin of sharpened teeth.

        The fury of both the crowd of blood-lusting patrons above and the
battle-hardened warriors fighting for their very lives does not even pause
in the wake of Beast's monstrous blows.  Squaring off with one another, the
two begin to circle.  Blood and dust cake upon their boots.  Each moves with
the speed of a serpent blows are exchanged as the two test each other's
defenses.  Sparks shower to the gory mud, noticeable even in the bright sun
above.

        The first to break from the deadly dance is Horunes.  With a wild
roar and glaze upon his eyes, the Giff unleashes a furious pair of attacks.
As the mammoth warrior steps into the attack, the visage of his khaki
garments fades like water rolling off a duck's back.  Now exposed his entire
form is clad in glistening plate armor, inlaid and enameled with the finest
metals and jewels.  It is also plainly evident the extent of his wounds to
his thigh.  The grieve upon his leg was gone, yet neither was it anywhere to
be seen upon the battlefield.  With painful steps, hints of metal protrude
from the cavernous leg wound, where the plate had been driven into the
muscled trunk of his leg.  And the Giff still stands!  Truly a testament to
their great fortitude.

        A few gasps flitter down from the crowd above.

        Stepping in to attack, no longer feeling pain the lust of battle
flooding his senses and dulling his wounds, Horunes brings the gleaming edge
of his mighty axe to bear against the giant Beast.  The first blow sails,
fueled by arms rippling with massive cords of muscles, directly into Beast's
neck!  The upright plate guarding his neck's flank and back of the
half-giant's gorget sparks as it is sliced cleanly off.  Where flesh should
have parted under the axe's fierce blow, it does not!  Ripples of magic
cascade from the 'wound' deflecting the axe like it hit a stone wall.
Unharmed, Beast still feels the weight of the blow and is rocked several
steps back.  Following his foe, Horunes heaves his axe again to the attack.
This time the blade comes low and up, catching Beast in the armor's seam at
his rib's side.  Though the blade bites deep into the adamantine armor like
it was mere leather, no blood flows forth.  Such a would should have splayed
bone and cut his foe's lung in half, but nothing save a brief shower of
sparks appeared.

        Hisses and boos streak like sling stones.  The crowd wanted blood!

        Nearly backed against the wall of the Arena, Beast shoves off with a
resounding cry, so deep it shakes the very earth beneath them.  Moving like
a blur, even with such a massive weapon, Beast attack relentlessly.  The
first blow nearly spins Horunes as it catches him in the upper vambrace.
Still the armor holds and absorbs most of the blow, preventing harm to the
Giff.  The second and third swing rain down like boulders from the heavens.
The first slamming into Horunes' collar and the second meeting him squarely
in the chest.  While the form of the armor holds, the sound of bone breaking
and the tearing of flesh issues from under the armor.  As Horunes' begins to
stagger -his body finally unable to cope with the magnitude of his wounds-
Beast lands his last blow directly upon the thigh wound.  Like a massive
tree splitting in half, Horunes' leg folds back upon itself.  The Giff's
ankle slams up into his waistline as the giant Horunes falls to the bloody
Arena floor -unmoving.

        "I present the victor, Beast!" the announcer's voice rang over the
din of the crowd.  "The warrior of Athas has given a bath of blood and fury
for us today!  Lend him your voice and cheer for the victor of the Arena!"

        Screams erupt as patron's stand from their seats.  Purses are
shifted and cheers fill the air for the battle's winner.

        Beast raises his hands into the air triumphantly, releasing a mighty
roar into the air. In mid roar beast grows in size becoming even more of a
behemoth. His sharp white teeth, dripping with saliva, shine in the bright
sun. The now even more gigantic Beast leans over his fallen opponent
awaiting the healers. When Hournes is restored Beast helps the gigantic
hippo-man up off the Arena floor and declares loudly, "NOW LET'S DRINK!!!"