Tales of
Erogenia
Episode 1: The Snow
Princess
Chapter 14:
Arena
Food was brought to Zenaria
shortly after she was placed in the cell, but she never saw
who brought it.
It was pushed through a small opening at the bottom of the door along
with a cup of wine. Surprisingly,
it was quite good wine and the food was a good as anything she had been brought
in the tower room. Apparently
being thrust into the dungeons did not mean that she was to be denied proper
meals.
She ate and drank, and then
with nothing else to do she tried to
relax. Sleep however, did not
come easily. She had been spared
rape, but was what she faced much better?
She would be forced to go up against an unknown
opponent. But
what then? What was at
stake and how many would she have to
fight? The thoughts kept her
awake most of the
night.
Toward morning, or what
she supposed was morning, there was a rattling outside her
door. Once again food and drink
was pushed through the opening and Zenaria ate all of
it. There was no telling when
she would be fed again, and as warrior she needed to keep up her
strength. With nothing better
to do Zenaria composed herself, sitting cross-legged on the sleeping mat
and waited for events to transpire.
She was less relaxed than
her pose made her appear. But
after her mostly sleepless night, she found it easier to relax than she had
thought it would be. However,
she was not given time to fully compose herself before footsteps sounded
in the hall. The door was thrown
back and two guards stood in front of the
door.
One stood back and watched
while the other entered the cell.
Producing a key he unlocked the chain from the collar around her neck,
but left the collar where it was.
Out, barbarian, and dont think about escaping; there is
no way past the other guards.
Zenaria remembered the long
blindfolded walk and the sounds of numerous doors being unlocked and then
locked behind her. She was almost
certainly deep underground, probably in the lower levels of the Thuskis
private dungeons. There
were no doubt numerous guards between her and
freedom. She decided to cooperate
and see where the guards took her.
This
way,
barbarian. He motioned down the corridor and
pushed her in that direction.
Zenaria had to restrain the impulse to slam her fist into his smirking
face, keeping in mind that she was nude and
weaponless. She also kept in
mind that if what Tren said was true, both guards were probably eunuchs and
had little personal interest in her beyond escorting her to where she was
supposed to go.
The corridor was unlit,
the torches of the guard providing the illumination as she was marched steadily
forward. The corridor ran on
far beyond what she expected. She
passed door after door, wondering just how many people the Thuski kept imprisoned
until she finally found herself in front of another
door.
The guards grinned at
her. Good luck
barbarian, one of them said.
He pulled back the heavy bolt on the door and threw it open, motioning
that she should proceed.
With no other option, she
moved through the door and found herself in a small
chamber. It appeared that she
had merely exchanged one cell for
another. The door slammed behind
her, leaving her in total darkness.
There was just one strange
difference. The floor beneath
her had changed from stone to sawdust, however, alone in complete darkness
once again she shrugged and lowered her body to the sawdust and waited once
again.
With no way to keep track
of time, and nothing to do the wait seemed to stretch on endlessly, so it
was with some interest that Zenaria detected a noise that seemed to be coming
straight through the wall. The
noise was quickly identifiable as the sound of a number of people talking,
and then the wall in front of her rose into the air, revealing a large well-lit
open space. As the sound of voices
increased, there was no doubt that there was a large gathering of people
surrounding the open space.
Zenaria stepped forward
and the wall closed behind her leaving her in a large sawdust-covered
area. She squinted as the light
stuck her eyes; she had been in darkness so long that she had a hard time
adjusting, but gradually her vision
cleared.
What
is this place? she muttered.
She was standing in a large circular enclosure about thirty yards
across with walls about fifteen feet high above which were situated row upon
row of stone seats, all of which were crowded with
spectators. Then she noticed
that one section of the seating area was considerably more elaborate than
the others. Not surprisingly
it was occupied by Ravar Kund. As
Zenaria stared up at him he raised his hand for
attention.
Friends, he
shouted, as the crowd quieted.
We have a bit of a treat
today. In the arena is a wild
Erogenian barbarian. She is reputed
to be as fierce in combat as she is beautiful, something that will be proven
today.
A coarse shout followed
Kunds address.
Looks like shes more suited for the
harem than the arena.
Ill pay you a hundred gold for
her.
Zenaria looked in the direction
of the speaker and saw a man wearing robes so heavily embroidered with gold
thread that he actually shone like the
sun.
Ill tell you
what, Tanar, Kund replied.
Ill put five hundred gold on
her to last out this day.
Done, Tanar
responded, but it seems a waste of
woman-flesh. I could spend an
eternity between those thighs.
I suspect even the
High Thuski might find sleeping with someone who is likely to bite off his
manhood a bit daunting. Kund
returned. It is small wonder
that the barbarian is still a virgin.
Is she now?
Tanar asked. His voice betrayed
more than common interest.
And you havent forced yourself on
her? That seems unusual given
your nature.
My nature does not
stoop to rape. I have never taken
a woman against her will.
Tanar
snorted. That is because
they have been so terrified of you that none have dared
refuse. Is the barbarian the
first?
You abuse your position
and my hospitality with your coarse assertions, Kund replied
angrily. Even the High
Thuski should display common courtesy.
I apologize, Lord
Kund, Tanar responded.
We should not argue over something as unimportant as a barbarian,
and a women at
that. After all she is merely
one form of entertainment or another.
The comments of her supposed
master and the High Thuski had Zenaria fuming, but she was in no position
to do anything about it. She
could only wait and see what was to come.
Kund returned to his seat
and a hush fell over the crowd.
Zenaria looked around expectantly wondering what was about to
happen. There was a low rumbling
sound and on the other side of the area a partition was
raised. A large shape loomed
out of the darkness and stepped into the light of the
arena. He stood blinking in the
sudden light just as Zenaria had.
He was a powerfully built man wearing nothing but a brief
loincloth. His swarthy body was
marked with scars, indicating that he had been involved in numerous
combats. As his eyes caught sight
of her and he smiled and licked his lips.
A woman, he
grunted. What did I do
to deserve this? Aroo be
praised. He looked expectantly
toward Kund who grinned down at him.
A
special prize for you today,
Gundar. Defeat her without killing her and
she is yours.
Gundar
bowed, his hand on his
heart. You are generous,
Excellency. I will remember you
while I enjoy her.
Kund rose to his feet once
more. In his hand he held two
swords. To your places,
he said.
Gundar moved back to the
wall of the arena, his body bent in a sprinting position, the heel of one
foot touching the wall. It was
at that moment Zenaria suddenly realized what Kund was going to
do. Her lips tightened in a grim
smile and she touched her heel to the
wall.
Kund
arced the swords through the
air. Kund had aimed for the
approximate centre of the arena and Gundar was moving before they even
landed.
Zenaria beat him by two
full strides and in a single motion scooped up both
blades. Gundar slid to a halt,
a look of complete surprise and consternation on his face; a look that quickly
turned to rage and then fear as he realized he was completely defenceless
against a barbarian warrior four inches taller than he
was. Laughing, Zenaria hefted
the weapons, flipping them into the air and catching them as they came
down. It had been all too
easy. What sort of warrior did
Kund think she was?
A quick look at the blades
told her something else. Except
for their points they were unsharpened hunks of low-grade iron, almost incapable
of holding an edge. What
am I supposed to do with these, Lord Kund, bludgeon this fool to
death?
Laughter from the stands
greeted this comment. The
barbarian bitch has a tongue on her, Kund, Tanar jibed.
Perhaps it should be put
to use where it can do the most good.
How much do you want for her?
I will have her win
my bet first, Kund replied angrily.
It was more than apparent that he reacted poorly to barbarian slaves
with a sense of humour.
He glared at Zenaria and
then at Gundar. Kill that
fool.
Gundar fell to his knees,
but he made no move to run away, not that the narrow confines of the arena
would have given him any place to hide.
In the tradition of the gladiator he knelt and waited for Zenaria
to deliver the death blow.
Disgustedly Zenaria tossed
the swords into the sawdust.
Kill him yourself.
The barbarian bitch
needs a flogging, Tanar shouted.
Sell her to me and I will attend to it
personally. I will pay you double
our bet.
If anyone flogs her
it will be me, Kund growled.
But first she will win my five hundred
gold. He signalled
and the sliding door that had admitted Gundar was raised again and a second
man stepped into the arena. He
was as tall as Zenaria and wore a studded leather harness that crisscrossed
his torso, but like Gundar he was
unarmed. I suggest you
pick up one of those swords, barbarian.
You will need it. He
tossed a third blunted sword into the arena which landed at the feet of the
man who had just entered.
Gundar stepped forward,
with a grin he picked up both blades.
Too late, he grinned. You should have killed me when you
had the chance.
The second man had already
picked up his sword. He looked
first at Zenaria and then at Gundar.
If she lives, I take her first.
Gundar
nodded.
Sure,
Dehn. Just leave enough
of her alive for me.
Zenaria now understood the
blunted swords. Kund didnt
want her killed, he wanted her beaten and captured and then subjected to
brutal ordeal at the hands of his gladiators. At best the Thuski was little
more than a voyeuristic thug.
The two gladiators came
directly at her, completely lacking in
subtlety. It was a normal reaction
when confronting a single unarmed nude woman even if she was a
barbarian.
Zenaria had never seen two
warriors move more clumsily. A
twelve-year-old warrior of the Snow Leopard could have beaten
them. She took them out in seconds
through the simple expedient of kicking Dehn between the legs, twisting the
sword from his hand even as he clutched at his genitals, and slamming the
blunted blade into the side of Gundars
head. The heavyset gladiator
toppled sideways, blood streaming from a gaping
wound.
The crowd reacted in stunned
silence, and then there was the sound of a single audience member slowly
clapping his hands. Well,
Kund, Tanars sardonic voice sneered, it appears you may
yet win your five hundred
gold. What else
do you have planned?
Kund gestured and the doors
opened again, however this time no armed men appeared, instead two unarmed
men entered, and crossing the arena dragged the two gladiators, one still,
gasping in pain, from the arena.
They also took the other weapons, leaving Zenaria holding her crude
sword. Hmm, she
muttered. Perhaps I should
have made that look a bit more
difficult. It had suddenly
occurred to her that there was nothing to stop Kund from sending fighter
after fighter against her in increasing multiples until she was eventually
either worn down through sheer exhaustion or overwhelmed by superior
numbers.
She appeared to have guessed
Kunds intentions correctly.
The door opened again, admitting a man that by any definition was
truly stupendous. His physical
proportions dwarfed Zenaria, standing at least a foot taller than she was
and probably weighing three times as
much. He was not Sandakar, his
features completely unlike any person Zenaria had ever
seen. His face was dark, not
black like, Sorvat, but closer to the colour of the spice called cinnamon
that Tren had pointed out in the market.
His body was covered with tattoos depicting serpents; they writhed
down his body, encircling his arms and thighs, and even extending to his
face. He was armed with a single
weapon, a huge mace, studded with sharp iron
spikes. A single blow would be
all that was needed to crush her
completely. Strips of leather
studded with bronze were wound around his arms, and legs, as well as his
torso. They offered some protection
against a slashing weapon, although a straight thrust would find his
flesh.
Unfortunately the crude
sword that Zenaria held had no more chance of being used as a thrusting weapon
than a garden hoe. It was a clear
mismatch, and the hushed hush that fell over the crowd as the monstrous gladiator
entered was clear proof of that.
Only Tanar spoke up.
Kund, what kind of a contest is
this? The girl can have no chance
against a beast like
Krang.
Kund laughed
mirthlessly. Are you going
to withdraw your wager? I would
expect no more from a man of so little honour.
It is you who are
sullied by this display, Tanar
rejoined. I thought you
at least would match the barbarian girl against opponents who were at her
level.
There was a murmur of agreement,
but Kund did not relent.
Take her, Krang. She
is yours to do with as you wish should you take her
alive.
Uhh! Krang
grunted. She will live,
but she will wish she had not.
Ill split her tight cunt like a piece of
kindling.
Zenaria stared calmly at
her gigantic opponent. The first
rule of battle was never to allow fear to
rule. She faced death, or worse,
but giving into panic would almost certainly guarantee
defeat. She could not hope to
match Krangs strength. If
she was to survive she would have to use superior skill to bring him
down.
You mine, bitch,
Krang said as he moved toward her.
Not yet, Zenaria
replied as she moved away from him.
She studied him carefully, looking for any weakness that she might
exploit. In spite of his huge
size, Krang was light on his feet, as she suspected he would
be. Even someone as big as he
was could not depend entirely on steer strength and power to defeat all
opponents. She would just have
to hope that he had never come up against anyone as quick as she was and
that his overconfidence would give her a chance to defeat
him.
There was at least one factor
in her favour. It became immediately
obvious that Krang wanted her alive, and his first crude comment had left
little doubt about why. Lust
twisted his features as he lunged toward her, balancing lightly on his
toes. He resembled some huge
demonic dancer, terrifying in appearance, and intent on brutally tormenting
her in front of the assembled audience.
Zenaria continued to move
away. In this, she was helped
by the size of the arena. A good
thirty paces across, and circular in shape, it would be difficult for Krang
to corner her and there was lots of room for her to avoid any mad rush he
might make at her.
She soon found that simply
backing up was not good enough.
Krang suddenly lunged toward her, covering the intervening space in
just three huge strides. His
speed was astonishing, and had she not been expecting such a tactic he would
certainly have gotten close enough for him to catch
her.
He held his mace like a
staff, intending to simply knock her down and then leap on top of her, using
his superior size and strength to bend her to his
will. Zenaria darted to one side,
and then stepped past him, striking at the back of his knee with all of her
strength as she did so.
Her aim was good, but the
blunted sword did not cut through the leather strips that were wound around
his leg. Her blow was deflected
and instead of hamstringing him she mere made him angry.
Aaawwrr! Krang
growled. He whirled and swung
his huge mace where Zenaria had been.
You bitch. I hurt
you. He came at her, his
club arcing through the air.
The blow was too quick for
her to avoid by stepping back.
Instead she leapt as high as she could, striking at his wrist as the
club passed under her.
Krang seemed to lose all
control. The blow to his wrist
seemed not to bother him at all, but now he attacked without the least hint
of finesse, sweeping his mace from side to
side. Zenaria dodged
back. Each swing of Krangs
weapon described an arc of about ten feet and her only chance was stay as
far away from him as possible.
She danced nimbly back,
using to her advantage the fact that each of Krangs swings left him
slightly off-balance and cut into his forward
momentum. It enabled her to retreat
faster than he could advance, until with a howl of rage he charged right
at her. She escaped only by ducking
under his attack and once again darting behind him, but she still managed
a cut with her sword as she skipped away from
him. This time she changed her
target, and her sword blade struck his Achilles
tendon.
Krang howled with
rage. Had Zenaria had a properly
sharpened weapon, it would have severed the tendon, but even so it left him
limping. Bitch! he
screamed. I not fuck
you. I kill
you.
He proceeded very hard to
try to do just that. But his
injury seemed to slow him just enough that Zenaria was able to keep up her
deadly game of mouse fleeing the cat.
But it was a close thing.
Not since she had been humiliated by Garrod had she been so close
to exhaustion. There was no shade
in the arena except near one of the walls where there was a patch of
shadow. However, there was no
way that Zenaria could take advantage of that, and the sweat streamed from
her body.
However, she was not the
only one suffering. Krang was
staggering with exhaustion, his enraged rushes having taken much more out
of him than Zenarias controlled responses to his attacks. Get
you bitch, he gasped, charging toward her once
more. This time as Zenaria managed
to once more avoid him, he went down, falling to his knees, his mace
lowered.
It was the opportunity Zenaria
had been waiting for and she leapt to the attack, her crude sword
raised. Only at the last instant
did she catch the gleam in Krangs
eyes. She had just enough
self-control left to shift her body away from the mace as it came up with
incredible speed. Krang was down,
but he was not yet out.
Bitch, he gasped
again. He lurched to his feet,
his chest heaving.
For a second sweat dripped into his eyes and he
raised a forearm to wipe it
away. It wasnt much
of an opening, but it Zenaria took full advantage of
it. She took two steps forward
and swinging with both hands cracked her sword across the lower wrist of
the hand that held the mace.
Again, the dullness of the
blade prevented a cut that should have taken his hand off, but it achieved
its purpose. Krang howled in
agony, the mace dropping from numbed fingers, and clutched at his shattered
wrist. His eyes wide in disbelief
and fear, he backed away from Zenaria.
She
followed. For all of his howling,
the injury was slight. She needed
to finish him off while she had the chance and not prolong the fight, but
at that moment Kunds voice rang
out.
Hold! Ill
not have a barbarian bitch damage my best fighter.
Not your best fighter
anymore, Tanar laughed.
Looks like the barbarian
is.
Zenaria
halted. Staggering from the heat
and exertion, she was not in condition to pursue the fight much farther,
and she allowed Krang to lurch toward the now open door that had admitted
him to the arena. What
now, Kund? Tanars mocking voice
asked. She looks like even
the stable boy could take her now.
Kund motioned
angrily. Several gates around
the side of the arena opened, admitting a flood of
guards. They surrounded her with
a hedge of steel, pinning her in the centre of the
arena. Chain her, and take
her out of here. But make sure
she is well treated. I want her
ready for next week. He
turned to Tanar.
A challenge,
Tanar.
My champion, the barbarian against
yours. First to draw blood
three times wins and the loser is forfeit to the
winner.
Tempting, Tanar
replied. I will take your
bet. Your barbarian is much better
than I had imagined, but still no match for my
fighter.
Agreed then before
witnesses, Kund finished.
Zenaria dropped her
sword. She offered no resistance
as she was chained. As she was
led from the arena the last thing she saw was Kunds face glowering
down at her.
PREVIOUS
CHAPTER
WIZARD'S LAIR
MAIN PAGE
L'ESPION'S
STORY PAGE
NEXT
CHAPTER