When does a man become a monster?

I was told to look out for the men that prowled through the streets at night, snatching young children from their beds. I was told they would be disfigured, easily distinguishable from you and I. They would growl and snarl and hiss, too inhumane to communicate.

Lately I have been feeling something wrong, something Other, inside of me. I am still me, I walk and talk the same, say hello to my neighbours and make polite small talk with the cashier at the grocery store. But something isn't right and I fear I am to lose myself if nothing is done. Is this how it begins? Was every man an average Joe like you or I, before something took hold deep within?

So I ask you, When does a man become a monster?

I thought victory would taste of pure gold. Nectar of the God's plucked from the Heavens for those worthy to claim it. How wrong I was.

Victory has left an acrid taste in my mouth; bitter, dry, hollow. My all consuming desire for ascension has turned the fire in my veins to ash. I look down to my armour. Gouges mark out her inferior attempts to fight back. Lucinda's. My gaze drifts to her now. Her once shining hair, golden as a morning rise, has turned dull and matted thanks to the blood leaking from the killing blow. It was never meant to end this way.

Snapping back to reality, the roar from the stadium momentarily paralyses my thoughts. This is what they want. Give them what they want. I turn to the dais, forcing Lucinda's limp form out until I have the chance to mourn. "It seems we have a new Champion!'' Ulthur's words boom throughout the grounds, sending the citizens into even more of a frenzy. As he locks eyes with me, something indistinguishable passes through his expression. It's merely a flash before he returns to his serene mask of regality.

Has he noticed who I am yet? Sweat starts to bead across my brow before I tell myself it won't matter soon anyway. He begins again, ''Come now my Champion, reveal yourself to your King and your adoring fans'', he gestures towards the crowd for silence. ''We must know who will be making the perilous journey to retrieve the Songstone from the Outer Reaches''. I draw in a deep breath and exhale slowly, kneeling over one knee and focusing all my intent towards the dusty dirt at my feet. He would say this is beneath me. Beneath my station. After this, he has no say regarding that station at least, according to the laws.

I rise, trying to stand tall and proud. His stare never made me feel welcome, feel worthy. With one last exhale, I bring my trembling fingers to the sides of my helmet to remove it. My braid tumbles down my back, sweat sticking copper hairs to my face. Peeling off my mask, the weight of a thousand stares pierce into me. Low mumurs and gasps enshroud me from the stadium seats. The noise buzzes in my brain, making it hard to stay steadfast.

''Father," I say, forcing my voice to remain steady. ''You have your Champion.''

I have to lure the guard from his position, incapacitate him, and don his clothes without anyone noticing. Easy right? I have spent the past 10 years perfecting the skills needed for the task. Skulking through Ormond's back alleys, pickpocketing and pilfering what I deemed necessary to survive was how I made it this far, and the skills I gained would guarantee my future. Archer's little game allows me to demonstrate these skills, to judge whether I'm competent enough to join their cause.

A quick flick of my wrist sends rock shrapnel bursting into a merchant's stall from the previous day's market. Concealing myself against the shadowed stone, I wait till the guard enters my perimeter. I lurch out to grab him and stifle any sound with a cloth of chloroform before he can raise the alarm. After storing him behind a a pile of the cities' waste, I place a half filled tankard on the ground next to him for good measure, in case he's found early. I switch our clothes and almost pat myself on the back for a job well done. I return to my post to await instructions. I can't help the grin that takes over my face, the first step to bringing down Archer is solidified - let the games begin.