06-08-2015, 12:17 AM
The roar that erupted from the crowd was deafening. Faces were lost to the sudden, overbearing brightness that enveloped the enslaved assassin, but the dawning horror of standing naked among hundreds, if not thousands of monsters, slowly became all too real.
Her palms were soaked, chest burning as she fought the urge to scream. She looked around with eyes widened in panic as the faces became clearer. All manner of creatures filled tier upon tier of the towering stone arena. Massive stalactites hung above them, carved by eons of wind and weather. Dust fogged the arena, a strange, sickly light filtered through it and illuminating the massive space in deep, dramatic shadows. Putrid liquid dripped from the broken edges, pooling in the recesses of the stone pathways. A stink wafted through its entirety, presumably from the spectators and the filth they’ve brought with them or left behind. Windows were pocked here and there, creating natural points of light that spilled in odd shaped blobs over observers in upper tiers.
The arena itself was a large oval surrounded by a tall stone wall. It had to be twice her size, with a platform at either end that hosted a group of finely dressed creatures. Some looked more human than others, but it was painfully obvious they were masters in their own right. At the sides of many of these elite were lesser monsters, some naked like herself, or sparsely covered by loincloths or other scraps of material. They all looked beaten…broken.
A cold hand wrapped around her forearm, jerking her forward. Her attention turned from the pitiful creatures to the one that handled her now: the deceptively handsome monster she’d known in another life as Nathaniel.
Someone had given him a microphone, and he held it out as he entered the center of the arena, the crowd’s raucous cheering growing even louder. Clearing his throat, he brought it to his lips and silenced the audience.
“Ladies and Gentleman, Nobility and lessers alike, welcome to Ramses Palace.” More cheers. He waited several moments before continuing. “I am your host, Nathaniel Himura-Da, Second Hand to Lord Ramses. Tonight, we treat you with the presence of a very special guest.” He shoved her forward, the throng erupting in catcalls and other noises she had no names for. Put on display so abruptly angered her, but over that anger, fear percolated deep within the pit of her stomach, radiating upward until every inch of her was trembling. Her eyes slammed shut against their leering faces.
“The former Captain comes to us from a faraway verse where she was once a soldier alongside yours truly. You can say we knew each other quite…intimately.” The crowed cooed at his implication. “Tonight, she will entertain us with battle against some of our more seasoned warriors. Perhaps tonight, we can crown a new champion in our ring!” They ate it up, shouting and cheering in deafening waves.
Violet dropped to her knees, humiliation washing though her. The world began to fade away as she threw up the mental walls that had protected her so many times in the past. There would be no escaping this hell; the only future that awaited her was an eternity of servitude as one of these pitiful, destitute slaves that cowered at their masters’ sides. Immortal now she may be, but that did not mean she couldn’t find a way to die inside. The body may be forever, but the spirit…the spirit would leave long before she would ever allow herself to willingly be taken down the path of a slave.
Someone tugged on her arm, pulling her to her feet. Nathaniel. His pale eyes bore deeply into hers, something unknown passing over his features. “Don’t give up so soon, love,” he purred. “You have so many eager fans who want to see what you’ve got.”
Violet’s eyes narrowed to two angry slits. “Just get it over with, Nathaniel. Finish this and let me go.”
Nathaniel edged closer to her, moving the microphone away so the crowd wouldn’t pick up on their conversation. “This’ll never be finished, Violet. You’re here forever, so you might as well get used to it.” He leaned in, his nose brushing along her neck just beneath her ear. A shiver pulsed through her. “Maybe tonight, Master will let me tend to your wounds. I promise I’ll make you forget all about them.” His tongue flitted out, taking a brief taste of her skin. Her head turned away from him, stomach churning as she caught a projection of what he had in mind.
Nathaniel’s laughter gurgled from his throat, eyes burning in lecherous delight. “Tonight,” he promised breathily. Violet let him have the full brunt of the disgust she felt show plainly on her face. His smile faltered.
“Get on with it already,” barked one of the masters on the leftmost platform. Violet recognized him as the man from earlier when she first arrived. That had to be Ramses.
With a sudden burst of courage, Violet stepped towards him. “You!” she roared from the arena floor. Ramses, she presumed, looked at her, his brows piqued at her audacity. “I have a bone to pick with you.”
Ramses, in his luxurious crème colored suit and slicked back hair, stepped forward to the edge of the platform, his eyes burning in fury. “And what bone would that be, slave?”
She didn’t bow to the threat that lay heavily in his words. “You kidnap me with no provocation, put me through humiliating torture, and then put me here to fight against your creatures. How do you justify that?”
Ramses laughed, and his entourage laughed with him. Apparently, no one else was as appalled by the situation as she was. She grunted in frustration. “Stop laughing, Ramses.”
The entire arena fell silent. Ramses’ previous fury returned, burning even hotter than before. “What did you say?”
“I told you to stop laughing.”
Eyes narrowing to two burning points, Ramses lifted his gold tipped cane and pointed it towards her. Her toes lifted off of the sandy ground, and she realized it was he who was doing it. He was using some kind of power to levitate her. Invisible hands wrapped around her, constricting her to the point that teetered on bothersome to unbearably uncomfortable.
“I am the master here, slave.” Ramses seethed. “Since you are new here, I’ll forgive you this one grievance. Never speak my name, and never, ever talk back to me.” He gave one squeeze with his metaphysical grip, and she cried out in pain. “Is that understood?”
Her answer came from the sheer hatred that burned through her skin. The reddish glow was strong, dancing just beneath the intricately painted grease and anointing blood. Apparently, it wasn’t a good enough answer for Ramses, who replied with another excruciating crush. She screamed in pain before he released her, seemingly satisfied by her outcry, her body crumpling into a ball of hurt to the dusty ground.
“Send out the first opponent,” Ramses shouted over the noise of the spectators.
Metal ground together as a gate on the opposite side of the arena slid open. Violet felt the ground tremor as something terrible emerged from the shadowy cell. Heart thundering within her chest, she stifled a scream of pure horror as she looked upon a monstrosity the likes she’d never seen before.
Its entire body seemed squished as it emerged from the hole opposite her. The gigantic, pink monstrosity looked like a flayed raccoon pumped up on steroids. Along either side of its arched spine were twin sets of spikes almost as large as she was. They seeped a greenish liquid she could only guess was venomous, which ran in thick rivulets across its ribs and onto the ground. Its six limbs clawed into the dirt, pulling it up in chunks as he limbered towards the center of the ring. Almond shaped compound eyes were situated on either side of its massive skull, every bit directed towards her. Its maw opened, and revealed so many teeth filed to surgically precise points.
As extensive as her martial arts knowledge was, nothing she’d learned would help her much in surviving this battle, if there was even going to be a battle at all. Standing there gazing into its deceptively docile eyes, Violet knew something in there didn’t give a shit whether she knew how to fight or not. It only wanted to kill.
“Get up, Violet.” Nathaniel prodded. His boot nudged the side of her body, but she remained frozen to the ground. “Don’t let it take you without a fight.”
She turned her head to meet his icy glare. “The only thing that could possibly be worse than this is living the rest of my life with you and being somebody’s broken lapdog.”
Nathaniel looked at her for a moment, soaking in what she had said. Could that have been hurt that passed over his face just now? Maybe anger at her insolence? She didn’t care. She couldn’t exactly die to this creature, and damage inflicted would be flesh wounds compared to the life that awaited her under Nathaniel and Ramses’ rule.
Gunshots rang out around her, and the fight was on.
Her palms were soaked, chest burning as she fought the urge to scream. She looked around with eyes widened in panic as the faces became clearer. All manner of creatures filled tier upon tier of the towering stone arena. Massive stalactites hung above them, carved by eons of wind and weather. Dust fogged the arena, a strange, sickly light filtered through it and illuminating the massive space in deep, dramatic shadows. Putrid liquid dripped from the broken edges, pooling in the recesses of the stone pathways. A stink wafted through its entirety, presumably from the spectators and the filth they’ve brought with them or left behind. Windows were pocked here and there, creating natural points of light that spilled in odd shaped blobs over observers in upper tiers.
The arena itself was a large oval surrounded by a tall stone wall. It had to be twice her size, with a platform at either end that hosted a group of finely dressed creatures. Some looked more human than others, but it was painfully obvious they were masters in their own right. At the sides of many of these elite were lesser monsters, some naked like herself, or sparsely covered by loincloths or other scraps of material. They all looked beaten…broken.
A cold hand wrapped around her forearm, jerking her forward. Her attention turned from the pitiful creatures to the one that handled her now: the deceptively handsome monster she’d known in another life as Nathaniel.
Someone had given him a microphone, and he held it out as he entered the center of the arena, the crowd’s raucous cheering growing even louder. Clearing his throat, he brought it to his lips and silenced the audience.
“Ladies and Gentleman, Nobility and lessers alike, welcome to Ramses Palace.” More cheers. He waited several moments before continuing. “I am your host, Nathaniel Himura-Da, Second Hand to Lord Ramses. Tonight, we treat you with the presence of a very special guest.” He shoved her forward, the throng erupting in catcalls and other noises she had no names for. Put on display so abruptly angered her, but over that anger, fear percolated deep within the pit of her stomach, radiating upward until every inch of her was trembling. Her eyes slammed shut against their leering faces.
“The former Captain comes to us from a faraway verse where she was once a soldier alongside yours truly. You can say we knew each other quite…intimately.” The crowed cooed at his implication. “Tonight, she will entertain us with battle against some of our more seasoned warriors. Perhaps tonight, we can crown a new champion in our ring!” They ate it up, shouting and cheering in deafening waves.
Violet dropped to her knees, humiliation washing though her. The world began to fade away as she threw up the mental walls that had protected her so many times in the past. There would be no escaping this hell; the only future that awaited her was an eternity of servitude as one of these pitiful, destitute slaves that cowered at their masters’ sides. Immortal now she may be, but that did not mean she couldn’t find a way to die inside. The body may be forever, but the spirit…the spirit would leave long before she would ever allow herself to willingly be taken down the path of a slave.
Someone tugged on her arm, pulling her to her feet. Nathaniel. His pale eyes bore deeply into hers, something unknown passing over his features. “Don’t give up so soon, love,” he purred. “You have so many eager fans who want to see what you’ve got.”
Violet’s eyes narrowed to two angry slits. “Just get it over with, Nathaniel. Finish this and let me go.”
Nathaniel edged closer to her, moving the microphone away so the crowd wouldn’t pick up on their conversation. “This’ll never be finished, Violet. You’re here forever, so you might as well get used to it.” He leaned in, his nose brushing along her neck just beneath her ear. A shiver pulsed through her. “Maybe tonight, Master will let me tend to your wounds. I promise I’ll make you forget all about them.” His tongue flitted out, taking a brief taste of her skin. Her head turned away from him, stomach churning as she caught a projection of what he had in mind.
Nathaniel’s laughter gurgled from his throat, eyes burning in lecherous delight. “Tonight,” he promised breathily. Violet let him have the full brunt of the disgust she felt show plainly on her face. His smile faltered.
“Get on with it already,” barked one of the masters on the leftmost platform. Violet recognized him as the man from earlier when she first arrived. That had to be Ramses.
With a sudden burst of courage, Violet stepped towards him. “You!” she roared from the arena floor. Ramses, she presumed, looked at her, his brows piqued at her audacity. “I have a bone to pick with you.”
Ramses, in his luxurious crème colored suit and slicked back hair, stepped forward to the edge of the platform, his eyes burning in fury. “And what bone would that be, slave?”
She didn’t bow to the threat that lay heavily in his words. “You kidnap me with no provocation, put me through humiliating torture, and then put me here to fight against your creatures. How do you justify that?”
Ramses laughed, and his entourage laughed with him. Apparently, no one else was as appalled by the situation as she was. She grunted in frustration. “Stop laughing, Ramses.”
The entire arena fell silent. Ramses’ previous fury returned, burning even hotter than before. “What did you say?”
“I told you to stop laughing.”
Eyes narrowing to two burning points, Ramses lifted his gold tipped cane and pointed it towards her. Her toes lifted off of the sandy ground, and she realized it was he who was doing it. He was using some kind of power to levitate her. Invisible hands wrapped around her, constricting her to the point that teetered on bothersome to unbearably uncomfortable.
“I am the master here, slave.” Ramses seethed. “Since you are new here, I’ll forgive you this one grievance. Never speak my name, and never, ever talk back to me.” He gave one squeeze with his metaphysical grip, and she cried out in pain. “Is that understood?”
Her answer came from the sheer hatred that burned through her skin. The reddish glow was strong, dancing just beneath the intricately painted grease and anointing blood. Apparently, it wasn’t a good enough answer for Ramses, who replied with another excruciating crush. She screamed in pain before he released her, seemingly satisfied by her outcry, her body crumpling into a ball of hurt to the dusty ground.
“Send out the first opponent,” Ramses shouted over the noise of the spectators.
Metal ground together as a gate on the opposite side of the arena slid open. Violet felt the ground tremor as something terrible emerged from the shadowy cell. Heart thundering within her chest, she stifled a scream of pure horror as she looked upon a monstrosity the likes she’d never seen before.
Its entire body seemed squished as it emerged from the hole opposite her. The gigantic, pink monstrosity looked like a flayed raccoon pumped up on steroids. Along either side of its arched spine were twin sets of spikes almost as large as she was. They seeped a greenish liquid she could only guess was venomous, which ran in thick rivulets across its ribs and onto the ground. Its six limbs clawed into the dirt, pulling it up in chunks as he limbered towards the center of the ring. Almond shaped compound eyes were situated on either side of its massive skull, every bit directed towards her. Its maw opened, and revealed so many teeth filed to surgically precise points.
As extensive as her martial arts knowledge was, nothing she’d learned would help her much in surviving this battle, if there was even going to be a battle at all. Standing there gazing into its deceptively docile eyes, Violet knew something in there didn’t give a shit whether she knew how to fight or not. It only wanted to kill.
“Get up, Violet.” Nathaniel prodded. His boot nudged the side of her body, but she remained frozen to the ground. “Don’t let it take you without a fight.”
She turned her head to meet his icy glare. “The only thing that could possibly be worse than this is living the rest of my life with you and being somebody’s broken lapdog.”
Nathaniel looked at her for a moment, soaking in what she had said. Could that have been hurt that passed over his face just now? Maybe anger at her insolence? She didn’t care. She couldn’t exactly die to this creature, and damage inflicted would be flesh wounds compared to the life that awaited her under Nathaniel and Ramses’ rule.
Gunshots rang out around her, and the fight was on.
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