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Carnal Combat II

Episode I - Out of Exile

By FJE http://www.furaffinity.net/user/emerson/

11/7/06

Disclaimer: This story contains graphic sex between adults. There's likely to be bondage, hardcore sex, softcore sex, tentacle sex, ninja sex, ninja beatings, ninjas beating off, and other unspeakable acts. If you are not of age to view this stuff, or if it might make you cry, please don't read it. Thanks.

Rhane sat on the floor in the Throne Room at the Hall of Combat. In her paws was the final roster for the upcoming Tournament, with the official declarations from each House regarding the fighters they would be sending. She smiled as she read the names, seeing that many familiar faces would be returning. It was unusual to see so many fighters come back for two consecutive years, but they were all skilled opponents, and she felt that they all deserved their place in the Tournament.

As she looked it over, the doors to the Throne Room opened. The vixen looked up, rising to her feet as the Master of the House of Light, and now Grandmaster of the Tournament, entered.

Nicodemus had served as Master of the House for quite a long time. He was an old wolf, and his age was showing in his physical appearance, but his mind was still sharp as ever. He had spent most of his first year as Grandmaster undoing the actions of Nobu Ra' Chi, and he had won the praise of all the Houses for his trouble. He smiled at Rhane as he took his seat on the Throne.

"Is the roster to your liking?" He asked, looking at Rhane. She nodded and handed him the list.

"Absolutely, Master Nicodemus. If you're ready, I'd say go ahead and make it official."

Nicodemus looked at the list, and then nodded to his guards. Two of them went out into the yard, returning with several guests. The guests were representatives from each House, each of them arriving at the Hall of Combat over the course of several weeks with the names of fighters who would be representing them. Now, Nicodemus would make the names, and the fighting bracket, official.

The old wolf stood and cleared his throat, looking at each of the guests. "Thank you for coming, my friends. I accept your nominations, and I bid your Houses the best of luck in Carnal Combat.

"To the House of Stone, I accept your choices: Spectre and Daichi. To the House of Sand, I accept your choices: Suki and Reiko. To the House of Fog, I accept your choices: Hitomi and Kassidy. To the House of Shadow, I accept your choices: Selena and Ruin.

"Finally, I present the choices of the House of Light: Winter, and the reigning Combat Champion, Rhane."

"Hold up there, skipper. You got a last minute entry here!"

Everyone looked up as the voice carried across the room. Rhane saw a figure approaching from the yard, swaggering across the room towards the Throne. Her blood boiled as she saw him, and Nicodemus looked no happier.

"Khan Lei, the traitor," the wolf said, looking down at the grinning tiger. "You have no place here, and no House from what I hear. Be gone."

Nicodemus started to summon for guards, but Khan Lei held up a finger. "Uh-uh, old man. I'm here as a herald. I ask that the Grandmaster recognize a request for House status in the lands."

There was a collective gasp as Khan's words echoed around the room. Nicodemus looked at the tiger in shock. There had been no requests for status as a House recognized by the Grandmaster since before the Tournament. The idea of a new House, especially one that would send Khan as the herald, sent a shiver up the wolf's spine.

"I see," Nicodemus said slowly. "And you have the items you need for this request to be granted?"

Khan nodded. He pulled three narrow wooden cases off of his belt and handed them to Nicodemus.

"Right there, pal. A ledger, with the names of at least one hundred individuals who wish to be listed as part of this new House. A map of the land that we claim, which no other House holds dominion over. And finally, a signed statement selecting a Master of the House."

Nicodemus looked over each document in turn, frowning as he did so. They looked legitimate, down to the strange new Seal that adorned them. There was one last thing he needed, though.

"And is your Master here to acknowledge the rule of the Hall of Combat?"

Khan just grinned, and stepped to one side. The doors to the Throne Room opened once more, and a new figure entered, one that drew hushed remarks of scandal and surprise from the crowd.

The dragon that entered was enormous. He easily stood at seven foot tall, if not more; his frame was chiseled and thick, and his scales were a shimmering purple-black. He wore grey pants, held up by a belt. From the center of the belt hung a loin cloth with a foreign symbol embedded on it.

He wore no top, and his physique was immaculate; he was all muscle and scale, with no fat to be seen. His neck was thick, as were his arms, and his face showed no emotion. A row of small, sharp horns ran down the center of his head and along his back, and from his back there sprouted two magnificent wings, spread wide as he entered.

When he stopped next to Khan Lei, the mighty dragon draped his wings around his body like a cloak. He glared at Nicodemus, then Rhane, and then nodded his head.

"I am Arrigan Adonis. I come to see to the establishment of the House of Exile, and to seek entry in the Tournament. Have you any reason to deny this request?"

Nicodemus looked at the dragon. There was no way he could deny the request; the law stated that all that was needed was the loyalty of one hundred subjects, a plot of land for a village, and a chosen Master. This House of Exile had provided all three items.

"I have no grounds to deny you your request, Arrigan Adonis. So, as Grandmaster of the Tournament and Ruler of the Lands, I declare the House of Exile as the sixth House, may you rule in peace."

Adonis just smirked. "Then allow me to make my entries for the Tournament," he said. "I shall be entering Khan Lei as my first fighter, and for the second I enter...myself."

Nicodemus arched an eyebrow. "The Master, fighting in the Tournament? I...well, there is no rule against this. Very well."

The wolf looked at Rhane. She was clearly unhappy about Khan being back in the Tournament, and she looked ready to voice it. She saw Nicodemus' expression however, and she shook her head. She knew that there was no reason to deny either fighter; the House of Exile was legit now, and Khan's past actions were nothing more than old grudges at that point.

"To the House of Exile...I accept your choices: Khan Lei and Arrigan Adonis.

"And with that, I dismiss you all. Adonis, if you would wait outside, I shall arrange for you to be properly established and given what records you need."

The dragon nodded and turned, his wings opening again as he left. Khan followed close behind, giving Rhane a grin before he left. Once both were gone, Rhane turned to Nicodemus.

"Master, there had to be a way to turn them down. House of Exile? Khan Lei? Having a bunch of exiled troublemakers in one House, with political power, is beyond dangerous."

Nicodemus nodded. "Yes, but what could I do? They satisfied all needs under the law. I would have never imagined that one creature could unify that many exiles, but there you have it. I cannot change the law. To do so would make me no better than Ra' Chi."

"But surely exceptions must be made. A house full of exiles, Master. They were exiled for a reason. Where is Alexandros? Let him make the decision."

"Check yourself, Rhane," Nicodemus said with a sigh. "I understand your concern, but make sure you are not channeling your anger at the exiles, when it is meant for Khan.

"Alexandros made it clear that we are to run things as if he were not here. He is only a counsel, not a decision maker."

Rhane bit her lip and nodded. She left the Throne Room, catching sight of Adonis as he returned to speak with Nicodemus. Something about the dragon made her shiver.

* * *

Alexandros sat on the outer wall of the Courtyard, looking out over the lands that surrounded the Hall of Combat. He felt the wind blow against his fur, a sensation he never tired of. His time on the mortal plane was all too rare.

He perked an ear as he heard approaching footsteps. "Rhane, my dear. How are you?"

Rhane stopped short, surprised once again by Alexandros' intuition, or omnipotence, or whatever it was. She approached him, giving a respectful nod.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Sir, but there is something I feel you should be aware of."

"Ah, you mean this House of Exile business, don't you?" It was more a statement than a question, and Rhane nodded awkwardly.

"Yes. I don't think this should be allowed. Khan was a major part of Ra' Chi's rebellion against the Houses and the Gods. Anyone that would side with him can't be trusted."

Alexandros chuckled and looked at the vixen. "Khan this, Khan that. You really do need to get past him, my dear. Khan betrayed you, and I understand your contempt, but you give him too much credit.

"Besides," he said, looking back out over the land. "The Gods wish to see what the intentions of this Adonis are. He seems to be an enigma, even to them."

Rhane looked surprised. "A mystery to the Gods? How can that be?"

"Even the Gods are subject to fate, Rhane. They have their paths, just as we have ours. They have a little more...clarity than you mortals, but not even they can see what the end path of every individual will be."

"So...the House of Exile stands." Rhane said, tasting a bitter loss as she said the words.

"The House of Exile stands," Alexandros said, and then grinned. "If that bothers you so much, just make sure you beat them both in the Tournament."

* * *

Two months later, the Hall of Combat was ready to host the Tournament. They had prepared a feast and a celebration for the first night, providing as much fanfare as they could for the arriving fighters. As guests began to arrive, from invited spectators to the fighters themselves, they found servants ready to take them to their rooms, and they found a Courtyard full of food and drink. The decadence of the House of Shadow's rule was gone, but no one seemed to notice.

When Spectre and Daichi arrived, there were more than eager to unpack and then get to the banquet. The journey from Tanuk to the Hall of Combat was nearly three weeks, and they were tired of water and living off of the land; they were ready for good food and strong drink.

Daichi was barely back into the Courtyard when he saw a familiar face. Hitomi sat on a bench, a cup in her paws. She wore her blindfold as usual, and her ears seemed to swivel on her head, following the sounds all around her. The fox smiled and pushed through the crowd, slipping up beside the mouse.

"Hitomi," he said, and she turned her head to the sound of his voice. She seemed to recognize it, or perhaps his aura, instantly, and she smiled.

"Daichi! I had heard that you would be returning. Welcome," she said, standing up to embrace him. He squeezed the mouse and kissed her cheek, returning the welcome.

"It took some cajoling, but I got back in. Spectre, too. Who else is here?"

Hitomi tilted her head to the side. "You didn't see the bracket yet?"

The fox shook his head. "Nope, just got here. What's the story?"

Hitomi laughed. "Some old faces, some new. Dusk isn't here, nor is Stardust."

"They didn't pick Stardust?"

Hitomi shook her head. "Not quite. It's a long story. There's also a new House involved this year, and Khan Lei is one of their representatives."

Daichi frowned. "Yes, I heard something about that."

As they spoke, someone approached meekly from the side. Daichi looked over, acknowledging the presence of the young wolf girl who stood there. She wore the simple tunic and pants of a Tournament fighter, with the Seal of Sand on them. When the fox saw her, she took another step closer.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, bowing to the fox and the mouse. "But I was encouraged to introduce myself to some of you. You knew my brother, apparently. I'm, ah, I'm Reiko."

Daichi nodded, as did Hitomi. "Pleasure to meet you, Reiko," Daichi said, examining her. He knew few wolves, and she didn't seem to resemble any wolves that he did know. "Who would your brother be?"

"Oh, he's Dusk," she said, and then blinked as both Hitomi and Daichi took on confused expressions. She blushed, and continued.

"Adopted brother, that is. We grew up together, so I tend to forget about the, ah, obvious species difference."

Hitomi grinned, now understanding why the aura she'd felt around the girl seemed so...un-panther-like. "That's certainly interesting," she laughed. "So you're a fighter too? I guess that gives you an advantage, having a brother as good as Dusk."

Reiko smirked. "I guess. Dusk has never been keen on me getting involved in all this. Chalk it up to an overprotective big brother."

As the wolfess, the fox, and the mouse talked, Spectre watched from a distance. He sat to the side, idly watching the crowd, scanning it for other familiar faces. Once face caught his attention, though it wasn't familiar in the slightest.

There was a small fire burning not far off, and sitting around it was a small group that seemed to be the musical entertainment for the night. They all had instruments in their paws, save for one: A radiant collie girl, the likes of which Spectre had never before seen.

She carried a sort of earthly beauty about her, a natural grace that seemed to flow out of her. Her hair was long, braided into thick lengths all around. Her eyes were lined in black, and the orbs themselves seemed to shine like emeralds. She wore a green tunic that flowed down into a long skirt; the skirt was slit along each side, letting her slender legs slip free. A metal armband was around her left bicep, and her look was not familiar to him. It was as if she were from another world entirely.

"Pretty, ain't she," said a voice to his side. Spectre reluctantly broke his gaze from the collie girl, turning to find a kangaroo lass next to him. She was looking at the fire, smiling a bit.

"All the guys are fawning over her tonight. Can't say I blame 'em. She's pretty exotic," the 'roo said, grinning at Spectre.

"That she is," the skunk said, arching an eyebrow. "You are...?"

The 'roo gave him a little salute. "Winter, at your service," she said. "I'm with Rhane, and the House of Light. I'm one of the new kids in the Tournament this year."

Spectre chuckled. "Ah, so you're Khan's replacement. You aren't going to try and frame me for anything, are you?"

Winter giggled. "Not unless the frame has ropes attached to it. But, I'm not really Khan's replacement. He was my replacement. I was supposed to go last year, but I broke my ankle just before it was time to leave. He got sent in my place. It was a convenient accident, if you get my drift."

Spectre nodded in understanding. "Gottcha'. So...who's the girl?" He asked, nodding to the collie.

"She's with the House of Fog. I was talking to her earlier. Her name is Kassidy. I didn't get the whole story out of her, but apparently she's from the northern lands."

"The north?" Spectre looked a little surprised. There were rumors of nomadic tribes that lived far north, in the cold lands. He didn't know they actually existed, never mind that they would migrate down this far and join a House.

"Yeppers. That's all I know, though." Winter stared back into the fire.

Spectre watches as Kassidy talked with the band. She reached a paw out towards one of them, and she was handed a fiddle, which she looked over carefully. As Spectre looked on, Kassidy stood up and placed the fiddle under her chin, laying the bow across the strings.

The melody she began to play drifted across the Courtyard. The style, the tempo was unlike anything anyone there had heard before, and all eyes turned on the girl as she began to play. As she worked the instrument, creating the ethereal melody, she began to dance gracefully around the fire. The music was almost magical, capturing the attention of all within earshot.

The song lasted several minutes, with Kassidy dancing lightly all the way through. When she finished, she smiled and handed the fiddle back to its owner. There was a moment of silence, and then she was greeted with a round of applause from the crowd.

Spectre applauded the loudest, completely engaged by the performance.

Not too far from Spectre stood Suki. The bunny was enjoying the night, savoring the second chance she had been given. Starting the Tournament this way, enjoying a feast, was a much more uplifting experience than her previous year. It boosted her spirits tremendously.

Then, just as she turned to head back to the banquet table, she found herself staring into a familiar face. She had to fight back the instinct to lay a blow into that face though, and she took a quick step back as she faced the figure down.

Ruin bowed to the rabbit. "I apologize if I startled you, Miss Suki," he said. "I just wished to apologize to you for what happened last year. I hope you understand that I was simply acting under orders."

Suki smirked. "Of course. And you obviously couldn't go against orders," she said sarcastically.

"I went against orders more than you know, rabbit," he said, narrowing his glowing eyes. "The fact that you are still alive is proof of that."

The ninja nodded and then walked off. Suki watched him, glaring as he slipped through the crowd. She could see in the distance that Selena was there too, all over a male on one of the benches.

She felt a slight twinge of regret that she didn't accept Ruin's apology. With the way the bracket was set up, she had a chance to face him again. Deep down, something told her he was not someone she wanted to be on the bad side of.

All around her, the celebration continued. It would go on late into the night, and the next day everyone slept in, resting up for the following night, when the first fight would take place.

As Alexandros watched the crowd, he was able to observe every fighter, every Combatant and their activities.

Everyone except for Khan Lei and Arrigan Adonis, that was. They were mysteriously absent from the event.

Alexandros frowned. He would have to seek the counsel of the Gods on this issue.

* * *

The following day was a lazy one, with most fighters and guests sleeping in. During the day, everyone went about his or her business, seeing what had changed during the year that the House of Light had controlled the Hall. To the surprise of the fighters, it was revealed that a whole new wing had been opened; apparently the House of Shadow had begun construction of several new arenas, and the House of Light had finished them.

When Winter awoke, she found a note under her door with her instructions for her fight. She was full of energy and ready to go, and so waiting the entire day for the fight to arrive was tough. Eventually she made her way to the selected arena, though there was still two hours to the fight, and there she spent her time practicing.

The arena she'd been given for the fight was one of the new ones, dubbed The Spire. The Spire was located at the top of a tall, tall tower; from the top you could overlook much of the Hall of Combat and the surrounding lands, even the base of Mount Talis. To get to the top, you would stand in a carriage while several monks hoisted it to the top, slowly lifting it until it clicked into place in a small room above.

Once Winter stepped out of the carriage, she opened the door directly in front of her, and stepped out into the Spire. It was a large circular arena, with the Seal of Combat on the floor. The edges of the arena were lined with tall steel bars, each one tipped with a sharp spike. The bars served a practical use in keeping fights from literally going over the edge, but a more subtle purpose existed for the rods. Each one glowed a mystical green around the spike atop, and the bars themselves glowed faintly. They were magnets for sexual energy, and they pulled the force up from the lands, funneling it into the arena.

Winter waited atop the Spire, gazing out at the view. There was a surreal feel to it all; after waiting two years for her chance, she was finally here, competing in Carnal Combat. When she had had her accident the year before, she was both angry and disappointed. She had been working through a busy crowd in her village when somebody had pushed her, accidentally or on purpose, down a flight of stairs. The fall had broken her arm and nearly shattered her ankle, and she had to withdraw from the Tournament. Khan Lei had eagerly taken her place, and she had never shaken the feeling that the tiger was responsible for her accident.

That was all in the past, however. She was healed, and she felt she was better than she had ever been. The kangaroo was ready to fight, and fight hard. She was also ready to get her paws on her opponent, the girl from the north...Kassidy.

Winter grinned as she thought of the other girl. Kassidy was definitely desirable, and while it certainly was due to her delicate looks, her foreign flavor added something special to the package.

On the other paw, Winter knew that this would be a tough fight. The House of Fog was renowned for producing tough fighters, and there was no telling what someone from another land might bring to the table. Winter was well aware that she would have to stay on her toes for this match.

As these thoughts went through her head, she heard the carriage start to move behind her. She turned and waited, and soon the door opened and Kassidy walked onto the Spire.

The collie gave her an odd greeting, something that must have been from her native lands. She gently took the edges of her long skirt and pulled it wide, while she nodded her head and bent her knees a little in a curtsey. Winter noticed that the other girl wore long ribbons around her wrists, the ends fluttering in the breeze.

"G'evenin', lass," Kassidy said, a strange accent floating on her voice. "I hope the na'ght finds ye' well."

Winter couldn't help but grin. "Sure does," she replied. "I've been waitin' on this all day. How about you, Miss Kassidy? All ready to bop around a bit?"

The collie smiled faintly. "Aye," she said. "I'm a-ready."

"Winter versus Kassidy. Fight." The announcement came from nowhere, but both girls heeded it, taking combat stances. Winter was surprised to see Kassidy take a Long Tail stance, something she didn't see often.

Someone who could rely entirely on Long Tail was not someone to be taken lightly, but Long Tail masters were few and far between. Winter grinned a bit, starting to wonder if Kassidy was still learning the discipline. If so, this would be an easy fight.

Winter chose to pit her Inseguri skills against the collie. She adjusted her stance, and then the two fighters approached one another. Strangely, Kassidy's stance seemed to change as she moved; it was still Long Tail, but there was an odd grace to it. It slowly dawned on Winter what the collie was doing - she was dancing, even as she kept her Combat stance ready.

As soon as Winter had Kassidy in range, the 'roo girl spun around, swinging her thick tail at the other girl's ankles. Kassidy jumped, letting the tail sail past under her feet, but when she landed she found her hindpaws slipping out from under her.

Kassidy hit the ground with a thud, momentarily dazed. She felt something cold under her legs, and as she looked down she saw that the floor where Winter had swept her tail was now iced over, glazed in a slick frost.

The collie was about to roll back onto her feet when she felt something tight, and icy, snag her wrists and ankles. With a grunt she looked around to find frozen cuffs of ice around her limbs, binding her where she had fallen. Kassidy looked up at Winter and the 'roo smirked, wiggling her fingers as they sparkled with frost.

Winter started to approach the bound collie, when suddenly a slight rumbling at her feet made her look down. All she saw was a flash of green as something snaked up quickly, slipping under the leg of her pants and then up her front, sliding under her top and between her breasts. The 'roo yelped, first as the vine-like tendril yanked and shredded her clothing in two, and then again as it wrapped around her waist and lifted her up off her hindpaws.

Kassidy focused on the vine, making it toss the 'roo to the other side of the arena. Once it had disposed of her, it returned to Kassidy and went to work breaking the frozen shackles around her wrists and ankles. Winter tried to get back to the collie before she could escape, but the near-naked 'roo found Kassidy standing again, stroking the vine as it coiled around her wrist.

Both girls acted at once. Kassidy launched the vine at Winter while Winter threw a series of icy projectiles at Kassidy. The ice and the vine met in the air, and the vine fell to the floor, shattering into chunks of frozen vegetation.

Kassidy frowned. She prepared to summon a new vine as Winter charged, but as she was gathering the energy to do so, the 'roo suddenly exploded into a puff of snow flakes. Kassidy blinked, stopping for a moment as Winter disappeared.

Then, she heard a similar puff behind her. She spun around, turning right into Winter as the 'roo grabbed her by her dress. Kassidy shivered as she felt cold flow against her body, and Winter tugged her paws to either side, ripping the collie's clothing off in a shower of shattered, frozen cloth.

Kassidy staggered back, feeling her body react slightly to the sensation of the cold. Her nipples stiffened, but she kept her arousal in check, even as Winter tried to shoot in low and drop the collie to the ground. Kassidy steadied herself, and as Winter put her shoulder against the collie's belly and her arms around the collie's waist, Kassidy leaned over and wrapped her own arms around Winter's mid-section, trying to keep her balance.

Both girls struggled, Winter trying to take the collie down while Kassidy did her best to not fall backwards. The collie panted, looking around for a way to escape. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

Kassidy began to slowly backup, as if Winter was pushing her backwards. Kassidy suspected that the 'roo was well-trained in one of the ground-based disciplines, which would explain her repeated attempts at getting her onto her back. The collie used that to her advantage, and let Winter press her back.

Then, with a sudden tug of her arms and twist of her feet, Kassidy tossed Winter around. The 'roo held on, still keeping the attempted take-down locked in, but she realized too late what Kassidy was doing. When the collie turned the 'roo around, she threw her right against the tall iron rods that surrounded the arena.

Winter hit the bars with her side, and immediately she felt a surge of blinding pleasure race threw her. The bars crackled with sexual energies, and when she hit she absorbed a dangerous amount. Some of it filtered into Kassidy, and the collie gasped, but she still had the focus to break away from Winter, getting away from the cage.

Winter was momentarily stunned by the shock of pleasure in her body. Kassidy panted, but quickly took advantage of the situation. She sang out a verse of a song in her native tongue, and the collie summoned up a new vine, this one with a giant flower atop it. The petals peeled back and then it sprang forward, hitting Winter square in the chest. It pushed the 'roo back against the bars, pinning her there as she started to scream and shake in pleasure.

Kassidy kept the 'roo pinned there, until she saw Winter's eyes roll back and her mouth drop open. Her body seized up, and Kassidy knew that she had her.

The collie withdrew the vine, and it disappeared into a shower of petals. Winter fell from the bars onto her knees, moaning hotly as she swooned, her nipples hard and her pussy damp. Kassidy casually strolled over, and knelt before the trembling kangaroo.

Kassidy licked her finger, and she drew a rune from her native language over Winter's left breast. The 'roo shuddered and moaned, locked up as the collie then drew another rune over her right breast. A third rune was drawn over her sex, and then Kassidy began to draw a straight line from her left nipple to her right, from her right to her clit, and from her clit to her left nipple, to form an inverted triangle.

The moment the last line was drawn, the runes and the lines began to glow on Winter's beige fur, shining brightly. Winter screamed as her body shook, bowing into a hard arch as her orgasm exploded within her. Her chest heaved and her hips bucked as she came, dribbling nectar down her thighs as orgasm followed orgasm, wracking her with incredible pleasure. Kassidy stayed where she was, watching as the other girl writhed in the grip of her climax.

Finally, the runes faded away and Winter slumped onto her side, panting hard as the ecstasy released her. She was barely conscious, but there was a slight smile on her muzzle.

"Carnality," said the voice of the announcer. "Kassidy wins."

The collie shook her head, trying to toss away the lingering lust that clouded her senses. Winter was defeated, but Kassidy took no pride in it; it was competition, and for her a fight was a fight. You either won or lost, but you didn't dwell on it.

Having won, she used the last of her energy to summon up one last vine. The plant swirled around her, covering her bare breasts and sex with leaves and foliage. Once she was properly covered, she made her way out of the Spire, back down to the Hall and through the galleys to her room.

* * *

Nicodemus sighed as the results of the fight were brought to him. After giving one of his servants the task of updating the bracket scroll, the old wolf retired to his chambers, his heart heavy with the events of the day.

One match in and the House of Light was already down a fighter. He bore no ill will against Winter for it, but it worried him. Much now rested on Rhane's shoulders.

Perhaps, he thought, too much rested on the entire Tournament. For the first time since Adoins had first arrived, Nicodemus felt regret over allowing the exiles sovereignty.

Alone, he prayed to the Gods, asking if he had done their will.

Their silence frightened him.

~END~

Story (c) 2006 F.J. Emerson.

Carnal Combat and Carnalities are (c) 2006 F.J. Emerson, unless Ed Boon or Midway call up and yell at me.

All characters are created and owned by F.J. Emerson.

Special Thanks: Setta Flamowitz (for creative input), Christin (for support), and everyone else who has been consistently reading this drivel!