Chapter 1 – Life
Savage. Wild beasts created out of Man and mer. The Gladiators were but animals in the eyes of the hungry viewers. No better than the wolf who howled to the moon, or the Skeeva that infested the ratways of Riften. A gladiator was property, owned by a fellow man or forced into indentured servitude when they could not pay their debts. All across Tamriel the crowds howled for blood and battle, they demanded lives be taken for their entertainment and wealth. It was a way the wealthy became wealthier, the poor became poorer, and the broke became slaves who in turn became corpses in the Arena. Blood soaked the sands where legends walked, legends that had arisen from the ashes of many lives. Legends who had fallen from such heights as to have been lucky not to perish, only to rise on the wings of blood and vengeance. It did not matter where they had come from, or what crimes they had committed, what deeds they had done. Every Gladiator was considered fresh meet when they entered the arena, and for many they did not reach a higher rank. For many their first time in the Arena was the last, and those who survived faced unspeakable odds. That was just what the Arena was. A wasteland of death, a pit of injustice. Unforgiving.
…..
It was in the ratways she woke, gasping for air as the water splashed down her skin. It was as if she had been bathed in ice shards, which in essence she was. For days she had sat in darkness, awaiting her fate like a good little slave. It smelt of salt and the sea, or rather, what she imagined the sea would smell like. Her mother had told her stories of waters that spanned further than the eye could see. Water that had things called waves, walls of water with white tops that surged through the water like galloping horses. Her mother had often told her stories, stories of nature and the wonders of the Daedra. She had been told so much and yet she knew so little. She was barely a teenager and she had never known her wrists without chains, never known what it was like to feel soft sheets around her body or fine clothes. She barely knew the taste of meat. All her life she had lived in chains, serving abusive masters as a young maiden. She had managed to sneak food from the scraps thrown to the dog; it was by stealing a gnawed bone from the dog's kennel that she had been able to sneak mouthfuls of meat. Her mother had been a better thief, stealing bit of jewellery and trading them for food. Her mother had never shared much food with her, stating that she needed to stash most of it. They had been caught when her mother's rapid weight gain had been noticed by the Kennel Master's son.
"Throw the bitch in" a rough voice grunted. She barely had a moment to breathe before her chains were tugged, and she felt the familiar pull on her wrist. Her shackles had rubbed her skin raw, and it appeared irritated. Her scrawny body had bruises all over her greyish skin from the beatings she had endured. The new men who had bought her were not nice. They ignored her skin; they ignored her needs and smell. She was no longer bathed when her smell became offensive; she was simply left to rot in a cage. Still, the cage she was sitting in was large enough for her to kneel, although she couldn't straighten her legs or stand up. It was slightly bigger than the box she had been transported in. She had no idea where she was, where they were keeping her or what for, only that she didn't like it and she wanted to go home.
"Please. Please can I have some water?" she begged, voice croaking from her dry throat. She did her best to speak clearly, gulping back tears as she was pulled out of the box. Her muscles were cramping, and standing up felt like a new form of torture all over again. She blinked as she saw torchlight in the corner of her vision, burning brighter than the stars in the clear night skies. The stars. So beautiful and so free. She always looked to the stars for hope, knowing such things were beyond slavery, beyond being chained like animals and treated like dirt. The stars were untouchable, and they would shine for mortals forever. Oh, how she hoped she would see the stars again. She hoped she could look through the bars to her window and see those beautiful shining stars one last time.
"Shut up, whore!" The guard growled, drawing his hand back. Before anyone could say anything he brought his hand across her face, the harsh sound of his hand connecting with her cheek filling the air. She her head was thrown by the strike and she stumbled into the wall. Her hands were still chained, and her arms were pulled towards the light. She contained her whimper of pain and fear, knowing they would only encourage her master's men to strike her again. The ground was cold beneath her cramping feet, and she had to fight for her balance with her toes curling. The men dragged her ahead, forcing her to break into a run to keep up. Her plea for water was ignored. She began to hear the sounds of cheering, chanting of a single word. Life. The chant was an overpowering roar, coupled with stomping feet to the beat of the rough voices and screaming. She shuddered as she was pushed through the door, straight into the light.
It was a pit dug into the ground, almost as high as a man standing on another man's shoulders. Along the edges were spikes, giant wooden spikes that had been crudely carved into sharp, uneven points. The lower ones were coated in blood, as if people had been thrown onto them. She looked to the dirt of the pit and saw more blood soaked into the ground. Her heart beat faster and faster as she was led along the edge of the pit, which was fenced off from a higher area where people stood, huddled together to get closer to the action. Eventually she was thrown into a cage, a rather large cage with an earth ramp leading down into the pit. She suddenly wondered why she was here, why the people were cheering for her blood. There were other men and women in the cage, all huddled fearfully together. She noticed their wrists were bare, although they bore the scars of chains. She swallowed her fear as she felt the men who had led her to the cage undoing her shackles, offering her freedom before death. Her chains fell away quickly, and she winced as the air hit her irritated wrists. She rubbed them on instinct, only wincing as she caused herself more pain. She walked closer to the pit, gazing in at the Elf standing in the middle.
He was a Woodelf, tall for his kind and lean. He had the appearance of a man who spent a lot of time running and striking, not that of a warrior. His skin was a golden tan, hidden beneath the rivers of blood running down his chest to the underwear he was wearing. He had the typical fine features of his race. A pointed yet long chin leading up into a fine jaw and a perfectly sized mouth. His cheekbones were high, his cheeks neither full nor gaunt. His nose caught attention, sharp and small. His eyes were also small, a rich earthy colour. His brow was high and fleet, leading up his forehead into his crazy blonde hair that stood up as if it were a dead animal plonked on his head.
"Life. Life! Life! Life!" The chant came as a giant orchestra of screams and growls from both powerful voices and womanly screeches alike. She could see everyone cheering, throwing his or her fists up into the air in time with the chant that filled the pit with a monstrous roar. She looked around, terrified of what she saw. On one side there was a section that was higher than the rest, a section where several well-dressed men and women sat. Eventually a red and golden robed Nord male rose from his chair, ignoring a displeased looking High Elf male who seemed to be trying to keep him in a chair. The cheering went silent as he held his fist out with his thumb level with the ground. It was as if his gesture meant everything. The Woodelf in the pit looked terrified and enraged at the same time as he glared at the Highelf, as if daring the Elf to make a move. The look of hatred in both of their eyes was undeniable, and it sent chills down her spine. The Woodelf's expression also said something else. It said I won.
"For his prowess in the pit we grant this Woodelf, this Danarus… Life" The Nord spoke in a booming voice. The crowd went wild, cheers filling the arena. The Highelf slumped back in his chair, jaw tensed as if biting back several curses. Guards walked into the pit, weapons drawn as they approached. Once in the pit one stepped forwards, binding the Elf's wrists together once again before they led him out. In his place two men walked out, one dressed in heavy steel armor and the other dressed in leather. They were both Orcs, as fair as she could tell.
"Now, we bring you a special treat. The Gro-Gludu siblings against six slaves! Who will prevail and earn their lives in the Arena?" The Nord cried out, gesturing to the cage. She flinched as the cage was opened, and the other slaves forced themselves past her to get into the arena. She found herself swept up in a storm of bodies as they ran down the ramp, screaming like wild animals howling at a bloody moon. She tripped on the ramp, screaming in fright as she fell to the ground. Her chin hit the hard earth, bouncing and causing her to bite the inside of her mouth. She gathered lay there motionless for a moment, winded from the collision. The other slaves simply ran around her, each intent on survival in the arena by their own hand.
Three men rushed at the steel glad Orc, each with theirs fists raised. The Orc did not feel fear, instead he laughed at the slaves, knowing their attempts would be pathetic at best. The first one threw a punch at him, stumbling forwards as if he were drunk. The orc sidestepped, ignoring the man at his back as he faced the other two slaves. A second lunged, throwing another pathetic attempt at a punch. The Orc swung his arm, knocking the fist aside before he delivered a bone shattering punch of his own to the face of the slave. Blood flew as metal collided and tore through flesh. The orc continued through his blow, lashing out and kicking the third slave back. He then grabbed the second slave by the head and twisted, violently breaking his neck and ending a life. The crowd roared as he turned back to the Third slave and kicked him again, sending him flying to the ground. He quickly leapt at the slave, bringing his knee up as he flew through the air. He brought his foot down on the Slave's neck, again ending a life before the battle could truly begin. The Orc lifted his hands into the air in triumph, drawing cries from the crowd. A sword was thrown in, a sword the Orc did not see. The slave picked it up and charged at the Orc, driving the blade into his underarm before the orc realised it. The crowd continued to cheer as the Orc fell, leaving the other Orc against four other men.
The sword wielding slave quickly charged two of the other slaves, slashing them across the neck as they turned to celebrate his victory. Another weapon was thrown into the pit, one which the second Orc snatched up. He quickly pressed the attack on the slave, striking at him with an overhead blow. The head of the mace came down on the slave's arm, and the sound of bones breaking filled the air. The slave's scream was drowned out by the screaming of the crowd. Some women's clothing fell open, revealing their breasts to the open air. Nobody paid the nudity any attention, nobody cared about anything but the fighters in the pit and the coin they had wagered. The Orc threw his shoulder into the slave, sending the slave stumbling back. The orc continued with the strike, spinning and driving his elbow into the slave's nose. As the slave tried to retreat the Orc simply brought the mace down with a massive overhead blow. Blood erupted everywhere as the mace crushed the Slave's head. His body twitched as it fell and hit the sands, signalling a victory.
"One yet lives!" the announcer cried loudly, pointing to the remaining Darkelf and the only female who had entered the Arena.
She looked up, her face covered in dust and tears. She stared at the Orc, a shadow approaching at a steady pace. The light caught across the head of the mace, shining in her eyes as blood dripped from the iron. She began to tremble as she forced herself to get to her feet, ignoring all the pain in her body. Her body was protesting as she went down the ramp, blood red eyes flicking around the pit as she tried to find a way to escape. When the Orc drew closer she realised there was nothing she could do. Nothing would help her survive this harsh environment, nothing but killing. She broke into a run, trying to get to the other end of the arena and to escape the orc. The orc lunged at her, striking for her kneecaps. She thoughtlessly leapt, her foot catching the Orc's face and sending him tumbling to the ground. She also fell, landing on the hard ground with a thud. She yelled in pain as she hit the ground, drawing more cheers from the crowd. The orc groaned as he got to his feet, bending to pick up the mace before he began to advance on the Darkelf. Her eyes widened in fear as she looked and saw him coming, and then she saw it. A shine caught her eye, and right in front of her just out of her reach was a sword. She began to scramble, pulling her body through the dust, grime and blood to reach her only chance of survival. The orc was on top of her before she knew it, ready to bring the mace down to end her life. Cold steel beneath her fingers. Desperation. A feral scream as she turned and lashed out… and then the world was red.
AN: I know I am terribly annoying with all these stories, but they are attacking me non stop until I write them. I guess creativity is a cruel master at times. Anyways, for the time being this is an unspecified time and will range many different places and my take on them. I will be posting this on deviantart as well, along with screenshots and other things relating to the story. My Deviantart is EvoedBD. This chapter was written to the song Born Like This by Three Days Grace.
I am continuing on ALL my elderscrolls stories, so if you are reading one then by all means don't think I am abandoning it. I plan to update as soon as I write, which I give myself a max of two weeks per chapter. For Vale I am taking longer as I am finding time to play through the Dragonborn DLC with school as well.