Day One: Morning

[Orion]

"Tollash!"

A voice screamed in pure horror, the name the only lifeline that was perceivable to them. The desperate call was almost inaudible against the constant, life threatening explosions that erupted out of the dirt from unpredictable, sporadic directions. Shells of ki tore apart the terrain, showering Orion with clumps of dirt and rock. Violent vibrations never ceased; just as stability was returning to the saiyan leader and his platoon, another seismic rupture obliterated their footing. Ordering his men to take up an defensive position, Orion dove behind a solid rock just as an enemy projectile decimated the earth on which he once stood. His muscles burned with fatigue and injury, blood staining most of his navy blue body suit. Any remnants of his saiyan battle armour were vestigal at best.

"Tollash!"

"OK men!" the squadron leader exclaimed over the white noise that disrupted their communication, "the main cannons are targeting our centre! We need our quickest, agile warriors to make a zig-zag dash towards them and do their best to draw the fire! Then, when they're distracted, we --"

Orion's haphazard battle meeting was ended rudely by another shower of ki shells. This time, the majority of his platoon were hit. Their bodies were shred into bloody pieces as the fatal projectiles connected with them, the noise of the detonations drowning out their shrieks of agony. The bombardment continued heavily, leaving Orion with few choices.

"Fuck it!" he cursed. "FUCK IT!" He spun his head. "Tirak! Tirak! Where are the false moons?!"

Orion's eyes caught the image of Tirak laying on the floor, his legs crushed by two large boulders.

"Oh, no. NO!" The distressed warrior, throwing any regards to battle tactics out the window, charged for his injured friend, running through a Russian Roulette-styled warzone. "Tirak!"

Orion slid to his knees as he approached the dying saiyan.

"Tollash..."

His world flew into a tailspin, his ears failing from the intense overload of the ki shell explosion right beside him. Orion only saw a twisted, spiraling vision of the field before his consciousness was aggressively wrestled from him.

"TOLLASH!"

-----

"No!"

Orion awoke with a start, his one eye wide open. His breathing had become heavy, but being free from his nightmare, he regained some semblence of peace. If only he was ever free from his nightmares forever, though. He would have to sleep again eventually.

Taking a few moments to centre his mind in reality, he stood to his feet, his bag slung over his shoulder. The sun on Dante's Abyss was crowning over the horizon, bathing the ocean in golden sparkles. Whatever darkness night imposed was almost eradicated, chased without pause by the light's will. After the good six hours the saiyan veteran had dedicated to sleep, he started to make his way out from his position. He supposed that good rest would be scarce on this island, and so risked the night for the perceived benefits of boosted energy.

Giving a slight moan of disapproval when he tried to fly and failed, the invigorated warrior began a fast sprint across the loose ground, kicking it up as he travelled. Even if his life had come to an end, this tournament would be the perfect place to reclaim that for the eternity of Heaven. How long had he felt dead in a waking man's body? Too long, he mused.

But now, he would forget all of his past. Just for now. He could never separate himself from those memories and experiences, no matter how painful or hardening they were; no, those people and times shaped him into who he was at his core. Yet, the lifelong struggle with self forgiveness and pity were put on hold for now as he searched for that which his demons robbed of him countless years ago. His saiyan spirit.

Even remembering that he could reclaim it stirred something within Orion. It, perhaps, never left him. It was merely buried beneath himself, choked by his failures and broken promises. Yet now, even a scant thought at the old days where he waged war for a living, tearing down civilisations at the drop of his huge, were-ape sized foot, brought resurrection from that decomposed corpse; resurrection that portended to revitalise his mind, body and soul for all time, the thing that he was so certain was beyond salvation.

However, as much as he could taste it, nothing was certain. It wasn't realised yet. Only the heat of battle, the thrill of competition for competition's sake could administer the vital augmentation that he so mused upon. He needed to attack from the shadows again, striking out with force, to bring his foe to their knees with unbridled saiyan fury.

And soon, Orion thought to himself, that will be mine.