The Arena Games

[Simus]

Simus considered Desiree's proposal and figured there was nothing wrong in switching places. It didn't really matter whether he died now or later, so long as it was soon. She also had a good point about giving him more time to recover. At this point, he needed all the rest he could get. It couldn't repair the damage his body suffered, but it would allow him to get a little of his strength back. Then maybe he could die on his feet.

A healing potion would be a game changer. Just one or two bottles of standard strength formula would make him good as new. Even the weakest of potions would be a significant boon. Finding one was a good idea. This woman wanted to help him, or at the very least live up to her bargain.

Even so, there was a problem. Something was different about this woman now that she had sex and Simus didn't like it. Her head was much clearer and he could look into her eyes and clearly see gears turning. To what end he didn't know, but he had a feeling it wasn't to help a poor old father find his little girl. He would have to watch this one closely, because she was not warm and fuzzy.

"Trading places is a good idea" Simus said, now sitting on the cot next to her. "If what you say is true, then we're both already dead. It's just a mater of how long we can keep pretending otherwise. Then again, everybody dies so who in Oblivion cares, right?"

Simus then gave Desiree a stern but still kind look. He wanted to see how much information this woman was willing to give. She was clearly clever, but how clever?

"Healing potions are a good idea. At this point I could use all the rest I can get. Even so, I just got here. I don't know anyone who might have a stash and your meat-for-hire over there doesn't look too helpful. If you've been here long enough to hire your own bruiser then that means you've been here long enough to earn some winnings. You've gotten to know people since then. You've had to. A tiny thing like you doesn't last five minutes in a place like this without some sort of protection. I also don't have to tell you that you're a cute little ember and there are plenty of meatheads here that surely want a piece of you. Perhaps some have even offered a little 'insurance' to help you through their abuse. Gotta keep your goods marketable after all, am I right?"

Simus face revealed nothing as he spoke. He had revealed too much to a stranger already and could not risk more to a woman who may or may not be trustworthy.

"Let me amend our deal: You introduce me to your friends with the red bottles and switch places with me tomorrow and I'll watch your back in the stead of that Orc. I'll even do it for free. All you've gotta do is give me a chance to see another sunset. Wadda you say Desiree?" Simus asked, offering his hand to her.

 

[Neverwin]

Desiree watched Simus closely, noticing that his expression was very controlled, revealing pretty much nothing of use. It was something of a change from his earlier demeanor. He seemed to be on-guard, for some reason.

"A tiny thing like me doesn't last long without being smart. The men in this cell would care nothing of my well-being. They would simply take what they want from me and leave me to fend for myself. Such is the nature of our situation. Therefore, I have no friends, and all of my coin is going to the Orc to keep me protected. I'm sorry that I cannot help you find what you need," she explained, straight-to-the-point.

Technically, she hadn't spoken a single lying word.

 

[Simus]

Simus could tell this woman was holding something back. She wasn't cooperating and he had no leverage to speak of. He also had nothing to offer her and didn't know where to find a potion on his own. He was too battered to look intimidating and too sore to pick a fight. He had to find a way to stay alive and he was getting desperate.

"Don't lie to me." He said, giving as hard a look as he could manage. "You're not sorry and you can indeed help me. You're just choosing not to. If I don't get something to fix me up I'm going to die in the arena tomorrow, and you're going to share the blame for that. You may not need me for protection, but who's going to keep you company when I'm dead? Admit it, you like the fact that I didn't abuse you even though I had a perfect oppertunity to do so. How many other men here are going to treat you like a lady instead of a whore? You're eventually going to get lonely again and when that happenes you're going to wish I were still here, because good men are rare and precious in any prison. Plus I'm offering you free protection in exchange for my survival. That deal favors you in the long run."
Desiree's expression remanined unchanged and Simus showed real desperation.

"Desiree, please. Don't let me die. Not like this. Not when you have the power to help me. I'm not asking for you to steal for me. I just need information. Who has healing potions and where are they. I'll figure out the rest on my own. You'd be completely blameless. No one would come after you, and even if they did, you have the Orc and you have a patched up me to help you. Please, I'm begging you. Help me."

 

[Hale Loneshadow]

Adnirr'ach glanced downwards at the stunning woman. "I am only looking to help any of those that need it. And...it seems like you need yourself. Please, take two of these healing potions, you'll feel good as new. I promise."

 

[Linamina]

Baalena smiled rather sweetly at the pale figure, clasping both his hands and pushing them back against him. He felt cold as ice, something she wasn't used to, yet it excited her to some level that her heart threw into deeper beats. She couldn't believe how tall he was, and tried not to fluster at the fact that at his height he had a perfect view of her cleavage in her ragged robes.

"Keep them...others will need them more than I...."

 

[Hale Loneshadow]

Just the view of her perfectly shaped breasts while she grasped his hands made Adnirr'ach a little hard. That, and the fantasy that suddenly popped into his head that involved her, a cot, and a pair of cuffs.

The vampire moved closer to her while she was still clutching his hands, so that their bodies were just touching.

"Please...you need them too. I would never forgive myself if I let a lady as stunning as yourself go without at least one to keep your body in its...perfect condition."

 

[Linamina]

With Baalena leaned against the wall, she felt as if he were pressing her up against it. His chilled body perked her nipples slightly, and she could almost feel a hardening shaft. She began to giggle shyly, deciding to draw him in.

"It's not all that perfect...it's just the rags I have on..." She gestured her humbling clothes. She began to think a fantasy of her own with him forcefully bending her over against the wall.

 

[Neverwin]

Desiree stared at him, her eyes widening slightly. An act, a performance... It took quite a bit to actually shock or surprise her. It was slightly unexpected that the man had managed to figure a few things out. It was even more surprising that he had not yet fallen into trusting her. It made her wonder if perhaps Clavicus Vile had taken away her gift and left her with only the curse. He was known for doing that...

Then again, she had been pretty sure she had closed up any of those loose ends. In any case, she was no stranger to playing "sensitive" and "hurt."

"What would I possibly gain from lying to you? I have offered to help as much as I can, out of the goodness of my heart." She would probably laugh about that later. "You asked me to fulfill my end of the bargain when we had sex, and I am doing the best I can. Is it not enough that I am willing to go before you in the Arena? I may end up dying quicker than I would have thought, so that you might have a moment more to live." Truth be told, she didn't buy into his story about him treating her like a lady. He was injured, he said himself he could barely stand... She really didn't think he COULD hurt her, even if he wanted to.

"You can't expect miracles from me. I am a slave here, same as anyone else. I am bound..." She held up her arms, showing her the individual, non-linked magic-dampening cuffs. "I scarcely have the power to help myself, and here I am doing what I can for you. And I am doing all that I can."

 

[Hale Loneshadow]

Adnirr'ach couldn't contain himself. He ran his hands sensuously along the length of her body, coming to a rest at her hip, pulling her closer into his embrace.

"It is more...far more, than what you should have on right now, m'lady," he purred, and he bent down and kissed her passionately.

 

[Linamina]

"oooohhhh~" she moaned out softly with a giggle to his caress.

Before she could answer his innuendo, she found herself embraced in a passionate kiss, which she returned with plenty of tongue. She wanted him now, pulling herself up by his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his abdomen the best she could to press him against her harder.

 

[solace84]

Dalious went into the slave holding cells, he had acquired papers from the emperor himself to free Baalena, because the emperor held Dalious in high regards. He had a smile on his face as he shuffled through the slave rooms, looking for her. She would be so pleased to hear the news.
Then he found her in a holding cell room, separated from the others. He saw her and...the vampire. He saw them embracing one another, he saw them become locked together in passion.
Dalious turned and left, tearing up the sealed papers and trashing them. He felt like such a fool that he had a small feeling for the girl, something he had never felt before. All he felt now was rage, and anger.
"I want to fight today," he told the matchmaker, when he found him.
"Dalious? You aren't supposed..."
"Do not make me kill you."
"...very well," he said. "The main event tonight pits the Gladiator Thorm against the Gladiator Talon..."
"Put them as one, I will fight them both," Dalious said and walked off, heading to acquire his armor.

 

[Hale Loneshadow]

He thought he heard a noise outside of their cell, but ignored it, deep into the passionate embrace that he was in with this woman.

Grabbing one of her legs and pulling it over his shoulder and back, Adnirr'ach crouched down and began to sensuously feast on her growingly wet womanhood, working his mouth and tongue in unison to give this goddess the utmost pleasure.

 

[Simus]

Simus sighed in resignation. This woman had some good points. She was putting her own life at risk to extend his and he wasn't being very grateful about it. He still thought she was holding out on him, but he was too tired and too frustrated to care.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I should be more appreciative." He said to Desiree. "Look, I'm gonna be honest here. I don't know you very well and I get the sense that you're holding something back, you're right. I can't expect a miracle from you. I'm glad you were able to help me, and I'm grateful for the sex. I've been under a lot of stress recently and it helped. If you really don't know where any healing potions are, then I'll give you the benifit of the doubt. You're the only one who's been nice to me, so you deserve my trust."

Simus looked at Desiree and gave her a smile.

"Could I ask you one more favor? It sounds like there's a fountain of some sort down that hallway to our right. Considering my conditon and our little workout, I'm really thirsty. Would you mind helping me over there so I can get a drink?"

He pointed over to the hallway in the direction Adnirr'ach and Baalina were.

 

[Linamina]

Baalena moaned and giggled in a euphoric rush, chills running all over her skin. She was scared at first that the sound was a guard but no problems seemed to be happening yet that she knew of.

She was growing intensely aroused, her mind slowly going numb until she became sexually feral, wanting more from him. Her legs pressed down on his shoulders, making her hips throw upwards to his face. "Aaaahhh yes!"

 

[Neverwin]

"That I can do," Desiree told him. She put his arm around her shoulders and helped him down the hallway. The Orc woman followed, her expression still ever fixed in permanent glaring mode.

 

[Simus]

Simus was much heavier than Desiree but she was still strong enough to overcome this and provide support as he walked. His throat was completely parched: It must have been almost a day since he'd had any water. Down the hallway, he sall what looked to be a large communal fountain with severa buckets lining it. This must be the water source for the slaves here. Hopefully it wasn't also their bathing area.

As he walked, Simus felt a sharp pain in his left side. He winced when he felt it and saw that his shirt was wet with blood. This was not good. He tried to keep going, but every step sent pain through him and he put increasingly more weight on Desiree. After a few steps, Simus became lightheaded and collapsed on the floor. He let go of Desiree's shoulder and fell in the opposite direction to avoid falling onto and possibly injuring her. He caught himself with his left arm, but this aggrivated his wound and he grunted in pain. He tried to get up again, dismissing Desiree's hand to help him up. he was able to do so, but the pain was excruciating and he quickly fell down again, flat on his face. Emberrassingly, he fell at the feet of a Redguard and a very large Dunmer getting busy with each other against the wall. Simus looked up to them sheepeshy when he saw their surprised faces.

"E...Excuse me." He panted, the pain causing a couple of tears to run down his cheeks. At least one of his ribs was broken and he had no way to set them. He would do serious damage to his side if he moved much more. "I...I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anyth...th..thing." He coughed, spitting up some blood on the sandy floor. This was not good. He could die if he didn't get any help. Desiree seemed unsure how to help and the Orc woman didn't really seem to care. He looked to the two lovers for aid. "Please...I need your help...some of my...some of my ribs are broken...I...I'm coughing up blood...I...I can't see streight...please...I need healing...I'll die if you don't help...please..." He panted, stopping twice to cough up blood. His injuries and woozyness soon became too much for him, and he passed out amongst the four people.

 

[Hale Loneshadow]

Seeing the bruised and battered warrior pass out from trauma, Adnirr'ach immediately...er, made himself presentable, pulling away from Baalena with a sigh of exasperation.

Of course, he was here to help people however he could, but he was no fan of pulling out early.

Kneeling down beside the broken man, Adnirr'ach grabbed his bag that he had dropped on the floor when he and Baalena had started their spontaneous fluffing.

"Hang in there, old man, I have just what you need...just hang on, damn it!" Adnirr'ach pleaded quietly to both himself and this man, as he pulled out a more potent healing potion, and while opening the passed out man's mouth, began to trickle the powerful potion down his throat.

Seconds later, the man began to cough, his external wounds at least healing fairly quickly. And from the sound of his cough, it seemed like his internal bleeding had stopped as well.

Funny, in the thousand or so years I have been alive...this is the first time I am playing a part of a healer.
Easily carrying the man to a nearby cot, Adnirr'ach looked back at the woman who had been supporting this battered man before he had collapsed. Who he saw made his jaw drop.



"Desiree!"

 

[Simus]

After what could have been five hours or five minutes, Simus woke from his blackout spitting up blood but no longer coughing it up. His throat was wet again and his ribs didn't hurt anymore but he was in someone's cold arms and being set down on a cot. His body felt wonderfully cool and the cot which should have been unconfortabe was very soft. He was very tired but someone had clearly saved his life. He called out to the large blurry Dunmer walking away from him.

"Hey." Simus called weakly. "Hey. What just happened to me? How long have I been out? Who are you and where's Desiree? I don't hurt anymore. Did you give me a potion?"

Simus mumbled that last part. He was fighting to stay awake and his body was comfortably numb so this kind stranger must have indeed given him a healing potion. He hoped he could stay awake long enough to thank him, and get his name.

 

[Hale Loneshadow]

Adnirr'ach briefly turned back from the surprising (at least to him!) appearance of Desiree. He had feared, and thought, that she would surely be dead or too hurt to move. It seemed that she had found her way into the loop after all. The vampire would admit he was glad to see her alive.

Still, he cocked his head back towards where the old warrior was laying and briskly responded, "I did indeed give you part of a healing potion. The rest is laying on that table next to you. I suggest taking it in doses, it is a powerful mix from a powerful mage. My name...is Adnirr'ach. I would prefer the fewer people knowing it the better, but Desiree and I are...previously acquainted. I was a prisoner here up until a couple of days ago, when I and a few others managed to break out. Unfortunately, they were killed. I managed to escape with the help of a mysterious Bosmer woman, and fortunately ended up in an old, secluded sorcerer's tower, complete with a sorcerer. Hence, my magical bindings being freed. I'm here merely to provide aid, as a mass breakout at this point would be folly. Now, I have a few questions for you all. " he said.

 

[Linamina]

Baalena pulled the bottom half of her ragged robes back down, blushing intensely. She felt ashamed of herself somewhat, knowing Adnirr'ach had bigger and more important things than giving her orgies.

She wished she could help the man but knew little about healing aside from just drinking a potion. Its a shame the vampire didn't have an escape plan for them though.

She suddenly thought of Dallious, who first offered her freedom. She wondered where he was...a part of her wouldn't stop hoping he would be there to get her out but she still felt the chances were slim, never one to fully trust a man. Still...she liked him...the first guy to really show her unconditional kindness--

She sighed, shaking off such thoughts. She knew better, or so she told herself.

She went back into her preferred cell, just to stay out of the way until her next bout in the Arena.