The Reluctant Gladiator; Part 2
Story by Soren on SoFurry
Part two sees a change in our protagonist, and a new direction.
The Reluctant Gladiator; Part Two
I was stronger now. I could lift and swing swords like the one I'd used to win my first battle with ease. I wasn't a pro, and still had a hitch when I cocked my arm back, but I had come a long way.
Every day for the past several months, I'd been confined to my solitary cell. Every morning, they served me a tasteless hash for breakfast, then escorted me into the coliseum arena for training. The first couple of weeks were hell; the "trainers" were slavers with hardwood staffs. They used to just beat the shit out of me, but one day I started fighting back. My skin started to toughen, and I was soon able to block hits to my face using my arm.
After a couple hours of "stick fighting", they would put me with a single reptilian by the name of Eldger. He was softer towards us humans than the others, and seemed genuine while training me, but he was definitely no softy. He taught me swordplay, defensive strategies, and helped me workout my feminine kinks, but was still a slaveowner, and one of "them".
"You answer only to me." Eldger spoke English well. Jenna growled.
"They all want to see you die. Today, you fight. You hunt. You kill. You win."
The stone walls and hardwood doors merely muffled the screams and hollers of the crowd outside.
"I don't kill without reason." Jenna spoke without looking up from the dirt floor. She sat alone in the solitary cell, Eldger talking to her through the bars.
"You want to live. There's your reason."
"I only kill in self defense. I will never murder another living being."
"You will one day have to kill against your wishes. It's either that or die."
A slavedriver poked his head around the corner, spoke in a language akin to an asian dialect mixed with latin, then disappeared.
"Time to go." Eldger stood up, unlocked the gate, and pulled Jenna out by the collar. He led her to the arena doors, where he locked her chain to a ring on the wall. He then pulled a handful of people from the community cell, and the next we knew, we were out in the arena again.
The collar was metal, and crude. It dug into my neck, and held my sweat to my skin, making it beyond irritable. I was still wearing slave clothing, but it was in better shape than the others, and a red cloth was tied around my left upper arm. I must be the target.
It had been months since I last saw this sand. It was somehow white again. Before I could ponder how they cleaned it, the people around me screamed, and started running into each other, trampling each other to run away.
No rhino creatures this time. This fight would be against other intelligent beings.
A reptilian, covered in scars, and wearing only a tattered tunic and sword, charged the group, teeth bared. He easily stepped over one of our dead, the bloody sand packing between his scaly, raptor-like toes.
I kept to the center of the group. As each person was picked off by reptiles or overgrown anthro tigers, I kept a wary eye out for a weapon. Anything. Even a stick.
Finally, I spied a narrow sword stuck in the sand, about a hundred yards from me. A dead reptilian lay next to it, his head sliced clean off. I couldn't get there without being spotted, and those anthros were faster than me in a dead sprint.
Now there were six of those bloodthirsty fuckers around us, hacking and slicing at everyone like they were chopping brush in a jungle, all of them laughing at the futile attempts people tried to defend themselves. I backed myself against the wall of the arena, waiting for my chance.
I slunk down to the sand, laying on my side, eyes half-closed, and slowly pulled myself towards an opening. They weren't guarding this side of the group now, as they'd found one man who was actually able to fight. Feigning death seemed to work as well, as I was soon clear.
My heart pounding in my chest, I leaped to my feet and made a run for the sword. I heard a roar behind me, and swore I could hear the sand flying from their feet as they pursued me.
The sword was in my hands.
No sooner than my hands wrapped the handle, I swung completely around, blade end finding the throat of one of the reptiles. He staggered about, holding his neck, blood quickly overflowing.
Without thinking, I dodged a tiger, easily bringing my sword down through his spine as he tripped over his own feet. I bared my teeth, the grit snapping like poprocks, as I readied the sword for the next attack.
Two more tigers and a reptile charged me. I simply dropped to the ground, all three falling over me into a mess. As smoothly as possible, I whirled around in a crouch, the sword finding the soft flesh of a torso. I felt a searing pain across my back, probably from a blade. With hardly any hesitation, I had turned to this attacker, amongst the furious claws and teeth of the trio, and rammed my shoulder into his stomach.
The tiger I'd charged fell backwards, with me on top. I held him by his neck, finding a dagger on his belt. He grabbed at me with sharp claws, tearing my skin. I fought against his arms, finally pushing the dagger between his ribs. He let out a big cat yowl, sinking his claws deeper in my sides. I was straddling his groin, and could feel his mild arousal. Seriously?
Two scaly arms wrapped around me, pulling me away from the tiger, and squeezing so hard I thought I felt my bones snapping. I cried out in pain as the dragonoid sunk his teeth into my shoulder. I kicked as hard as I could, until one of my heels nailed his knee, knocking us to the sand.
I don't remember how I escaped his grip, but I remembered staring down at his bloody corpse, a sword in hand, the cheering of the crowd breaking through the matted sand in my ears.
The sun was brutal that day. I squinted against the blinding sand, and caught a shiny glint from the stands. There was a shaded area, a box, where a small group of servants toiled. Right in the middle, I could barely make out some comfortable furniture, and a creature dressed in expensive clothes. He had the head if a crocodile, not unlike the beasts around me, but his toned body was that of a leopard. He appeared to be enjoying one of his human servants, who was bent down between his furry legs, head bobbing over what I assumed was his cock.
A stabbing pain in my side reminded me where I was. A new trail of blood ran from the open wound, caused by a wolf anthro who was racing towards me. I wiped grit from my eyes, and tried to dodge him, but my vision was apparently worse than I thought, because he had me flat on my back in the hot, bloody sand. I screamed as he plunged three fingers into the wound on my side, wiggling them around, grinning as I squirmed. He had one arm across my neck, smashing me down, choking me, his body holding me down firmly.
Not again. Please not again. I felt his raging cock pressing against my abdomen.
"You kill my brother. He give you gift, and you kill him." the wolf snarled. Son of a bitch.
"He tried to kill me. He raped me." I squeaked, the fight to keep air in my lungs was becoming a losing battle.
"Wolf seed is best seed. I kill you...for him."
I saw stars clouding my vision, a darkness creeping slowly from the corners. Suddenly, his arm was off my neck, his body lifted off me. I inhaled fast, my bruised throat and ribs burning like fire. The wolf was on his knees, looking down at me, rubbing his exposed cock.
I felt weak, hoping my eyes would clear up so I could try to find a way out. Even still, my body was tired. Pain poked me from every limb, and I could barely lift a hand. I watched him stroke himself, his sneer sending shivers down my spine. Maybe this is how it ends.
We must've been the last remaining in the arena, because the wolfman didn't seem worried. He didn't look over his shoulder. He kept his amber eyes locked on me as he bent down, running his rough tongue across my face. It almost felt good when the light breeze hit the wetness, cooling me instantly. He licked again, removing the sweat, blood, and dirt.
I just let him do what he wanted. I was too tired to even struggle.
He used one hand to remove my clothing, while the other held me by my neck. He wasn't choking me this time, but simply holding me into the warm sand. He used his hips to locate my wet pussy with his cock. Why the hell was I wet?
The warm sand, a cool breeze on my face, the light suffocation...it was all actually nice, considering where I was. Maybe I would get more out this than him. I relaxed.
He plunged into me, forcing me to yelp. He grinned as he pulled back and slammed me again. Despite the agony from my many wounds, I groaned as he stretched me open, his firm cock rubbing against my tender walls. His fur was softer than his brothers', and his cock slightly smaller, but still enough to force me out of my sexual comfort zone.
As he rutted into me, I tried to just enjoy the feel of his dick, and not think of this as an exhibitionist rape. He pounded me, his furry balls slapping against me, my own pussy betraying me and keeping him well-lubricated. I felt my body tense up, even the pain adding fuel to my fire at this point. Something inside me changed. I was actually really enjoying this. This angry wolf was going to make me orgasm, right here in the dirty sand, in front of thousands of eyes...normally a private person, this should've been too much for me to handle, but God I wanted it now.
I wrapped my legs around him, squeezing him into me. He growled and thrust harder and faster, pausing only to work his fat knot into me. I moaned as it popped inside, and he resumed short bursts, until finally I gave in to my body, my legs shaking. He released his seed into me, the warmth filling my belly, and further propelling my orgasm. He growled into my ear, lightly licking me. I let out another guttural groan as he licked my cheek tenderly, releasing my throat and moving his hand to hold my chin. He forced his tongue into my mouth, and I let him, even playing at him with mine.
Then, I felt a stab, and a sharp blade had sunk into my gut. I cried out as he pushed it to the hilt. He leaned back, panting, smiling. He pulled his knot from me, adding more pain to my miserable situation. I looked down at the knife in my stomach, my hands too shaky to remove it.
He stood, turned his back to me, then lifted him arms as a victor. The crowd went nuts. Sex and violence, baby.
I felt a wash of anger. Something different for me. I suddenly didn't care about him, or his life.
In my rage, I felt no pain. It was just me, the blade in my stomach, and him. I grabbed hold of the handle, removed the blade, and was on my feet. The crowd paused, and I lunged up onto his back. I quickly had the blade against his throat, drawing blood before he could react.
I released him, deftly stepping aside as he fell to his knees, clutching his throat. I flung the knife aside, not caring much for it at that point, and shoved him backwards into the sand. He kept his hands around his throat, eyes bulging in either surprise or terror, as I stood over top of him.
"It's rude to stab someone you fuck." I snarled. Where the hell did this person come from? I was never prone to violence before, but believed everyone had a dark side. Apparently, I was right. And in all honesty, I kind of liked it. I felt powerful, sexy, and dangerous.
I dropped down on top of him, straddling his still-wet and perky cock. I grabbed it and led it to my entrance. Once lined up, I impaled myself on him. He shuddered.
"I want to feel you die." I whispered as we were nose to nose, and I slowly worked my body on his cock. He whimpered weakly.
I rode him, the stunned silence of the crowd fueling my desires. I looked down at him. He had released his neck, and a large pool of blood was creeping away from him. He was barely there.
Gently, I bent over and kissed his nose, then held his gaze until his eyes went glassy, and I felt his last breath slip away.
Jenna sat alone in her cell, staring down at the dirt floor, her dried wounds untended. The other slaves in the big cell were just staring at her, and were squished up against the far wall. Surely they'd heard what she did. She was happy that no more would anyone look at her in pity. It was either fear, or respect. The slavers treated her with more care, as if she could kill them with a glance.
After almost three hours, and her wondering if she would bleed to death, Eldger showed up with a handful of slavers.
"King Apophus would like to see you." Eldger seemed reserved, and the slavers edgy. Jenna did as they asked. She was too tired to fight anyone, and she had sustained enough injuries in the arena.
Eldger led them through the stone hallways, and then through even more stone passageways. A lit torch helped, but it was still dark and creepy.
Finally, they were out in the sunlight. It was a desert. Behind them, the coliseum stood like a bright gem, and almost as far as the eye could see, it was just desert. Off in the distance was what appeared to be a city, but she didn't trust her eyes to discern a mirage from real.
A small craft was sitting waiting. Kind of a cross between a midget space shuttle and something out of Star Trek. It was the same dusty brown as the desert, and had graceful wings. The cargo door was open, and Eldger led the group to it.
Inside the shuttle was clean and bright. There was plenty of room to stand, but they all sat on benches instead. The door was closed, and the shuttle lifted from the desert floor.
It was a small palace, fit more for a scorned prince over a king. The shuttle landed in one of the courtyards.
Four well-dressed dragonoids waited for the group. Eldger was allowed to follow, but the four reptile guards took Jenna instead if Eldger's slavers.
The gardens were out of place in the dry climate, but were lush and green, each section of plants bearing amazing fruits. Jenna felt her stomach growl.
The palace was maybe two stories tall, with no windows, but lots of openings. It was built in an ancient Egyptian style, with tall rooms and lots of color. Once inside, a booming voice issued a command. Her eyes were still not adjusted, so she could barely make out the source.
It was that crocodilian leopard she'd seen at the coliseum. He was completely naked, and relaxed back on a bed of pillows. Three human slave girls were grooming his fur, one carefully grooming around his rising cock.
The four guards dropped Jenna's chains. Eldger unlocked her restraints as if on command. She was still tired, bloody, and in pain, so she figured they knew she wouldn't even try to flee.
The croc leopard stood up and approached. Jenna held defiant eye contact with him, despite her current state.
He stood in front of her, sneering, so close his cock was almost touching her.
"You are just as fucked up as I am." he spoke smoothly, and in perfect English.
Jenna said nothing.
"Do you have anything to say? Want to know why you're here?"
Again, Jenna simply glared at him. He turned away, and walked back a few paces, before turning to face her again.
"I am King Apophus. I rule this land. I started the games many eons ago, and I reap the benefits of it. What I want, I get."
Jenna snorted. Another rich asshole.
"I have a thing for creatures like you. I am the god of war and chaos. I like creatures who share my tendencies. Especially females."
God?
"Where am I?" Jenna finally spoke.
Apophus whirled round and slammed his open hand against her face, making her fall. She was weak enough from the battle that she couldn't even consider getting back up.
"You speak when asked to!" the croc bellowed.
"What is going on here?" another voice echoed in the great hall. Apophus seemed suddenly unsteady.
From outside, behind everyone, a tall figure appeared. Standing close to seven feet tall, and covered in short black fur. He was an anthro, but clean and attractive. His body was all lean and muscles toned like someone who actually worked for a living. He wore a blue and gold tunic, and a disc-like collar made from gold with blue accent gems. He had the head of a jackal, with fierce green eyes and long stout ears. A crown akin to a pharoah's rested between his ears.
Apophus seemed to melt. He cast his eyes down as the jackal spoke to him in their dialect. Jenna was sitting up at this point, watching the interaction. The whole atmosphere had changed, and this newcomer was quite something to behold.
After some heated discussion, Apophus stalked away, his three servant girls tailing behind. The four guards simply stepped back, allowing the royal jackal room.
Jenna had collapsed. She hadn't passed out, but she was too weak to lift her head.
The jackal bent down to her, gently brushing her matted hair from her face. She cracked an eye, taking in the kindness he seemed to be showing.
Every inch of me hurt. What wasn't aching and sore was stabbing and throbbing. My energy was gone. I didn't care what happened next. Maybe the jackal would eat me. Maybe they'd all just leave me here and watch me die.
I felt a light touch on my cheek, and forced an eye open. It was the anthro jackal. His kind eyes relaxed me. He pulled my gross hair from my face, taking me in. Without a word, he scooped me up and carried me outside.
A part of me hoped I'd get to fuck this one too.
It had been a week. Only a week. Yet I was completely healed. Nobody told me how, actually, nobody said anything to me. It was irritating. I was somehow important to the jackal, but I hadn't seen him since he picked me up off Apophus' floor.
The room I was in was an old high servant's quarters, so it was basic. Still had a nice view of the sprawling city, and was always a comfortable temperature. The bedding was soft and cozy, not unlike my fleece blanket from home. I was remarkably ok with it. Food carts were pushed in three times a day, full of a variety of meats and fruits, all fresh and flavorful.
One afternoon, I was bored as all hell. I had been pacing for hours, and was nearly ready for a sixth nap today, when the door clicked. The sun wasn't touching the point of the obelisk several blocks away, so it wasn't even close to dinner time.
A pair of royal guards, both black wolves with blue and gold tunics, and sharp spears, entered. They each stopped just inside the door, and the royal jackal entered. I was almost happy to see him.
He stopped just inside, seeing me, and smiling.
"Please tell me..." I started to ask, when he held up a hand, silencing me.
"I know you have alot if questions. I'm here to answer them all, and explain everything." the jackal pulled a chair from the table, settling in. He motioned for me to join him. I did. I was never the obedient type, as a matter of fact, I was always the dominant control freak, but something about this guy was intoxicating.
"My name is Anubis. I am the ruling god of Oaekabis, and the Lands Below. I am one of the Great Seven. Amun-Ra, Horus, Osiris, Sobek, Bastet, Sekhmet, and myself. Apophus lied to you. He is merely the cousin to Sobek, and was only given rule over the games."
"So, where am I?"
"Well, you're not on Earth."
No shit.
"Our planet is mostly water, seeing as we have very large oceans. There are six continents, each one vastly different in climate. Our continent consists of three kingdoms; the great city of Oaekabis, the Lands Below, and Kysis. Kysis is Sobek's kingdom. We share our continent in peace, seeing as reptiles of his sort prefer desert, and I like having strong allies.
"All you need to know of the other five, is that Bastet is a goddess to be reckoned with, and has a ferocious army. Her and I are the only gods without mates. She usually keeps to herself. Horus and Osiris are mortal enemies, and are always at war. Amun-Ra is the only god who we all agree could potentially be a threat one day. He is fierce, cunning, and ruthless. He is always watching us for weaknesses."
"What happened to Earth?" I asked nervously, already knowing the answer.
"It was destroyed by a meteor. We tried to save as many people as possible before the impact."
"Saved? Just to throw them in an arena to be slaughtered?" I was on my feet, practically screaming.
"Each one of the gods authorized a rescue of the strongest, smartest, humans. I am not in control of Sobek's charges."
"Where are yours?" I asked.
"They are building a temple for me. I give them adequate housing, sustenance, and..."
"Slaves." I interrupted.
"That is our culture, however mine are not chained down. Any one of them can leave at any time." Anubis remained patient and calm.
"Why did you take me away from Apophus?" I sat back down. Slavery in exchange for freedom to buy life? Not my kind of deal, but the gods of this planet did save our species.
"I bought you. You are just what I need."
I sighed. What new hell was I about to be privileged to?
Anubis stood, paced over to the window, and gazed outside. "Here on our world, the king is basically the landowner. He owns the land, and all the cities and living beings in it. He writes the laws. The queen is the enforcer. She is the charge over the army, royal guard, and city guard. She must be ferocious, with zero tolerance, yet compassionate. She must be strong and loyal, yet be able to see past personal prejudice to make the right choice. They rule together this way."
I stayed quiet, fearing what he would say next.
The jackal god turned to face me. "You must make the choice. I cannot force you."
I was on my feet now. "For what?"
"I want you to be my queen."
To be continued...