Eostia: Harem Quest

by EostianScribe

The Gods have given mortals the power of The Gamer as a pass time. A hobby. A means to compete and relax. One goddess, however, sees it as a means of salvation; starting with one world. As such, she rolls the dice... (Harem, Citrus and Eventual Dark Content Warning)

28. Act II-Ch VIII: A Red Countess

[ - Author's Note - ]

Well the Questlines spin off seems to be enjoyed. While I won't be focusing on it too much I am glad to have the extra creative outlet. But anyway, time to check the poll results on what Monster Girls you would want to see! And this is the first poll that cracked triple digits too! One hundred and five votes! Coupled with the reviews going half of the way past five hundred and the word count cracking four hundred thousand I think we can say the story is coming along nicely! Hell, the story was added to another Community Archive. So, let's get on with the poll results!

At 11th place is Scylla with three votes (2.86%). I'm not overly surprised; it's a niche, mostly unused one.

Tied at 10th and 9th is Harpie and Lizardwoman with five votes each (4.76%). I'm surprised that harpie isn't higher, but I guess lizardwoman being so low is understandable.

Tied at 8th and 7th is Dullahan and Mermaid with six each (5.71%). I'm surprised at this; Dullahan is an odd one but you'd figure mermaid would be more popular.

At 6th with eight votes is Alraune (6.62%). More common-ish type, but not yet in the double digits for votes.

At 5th is Centaur/Deertaur with nine votes (8.57%). More popular, although one wonders about the, ah, sizes involved with a centaur girl. A smaller deertaur might be more fitting.

At 4th is Arachne with ten votes (9.52%). Bit surprised as this has to be one of the most fem-dom oriented monster girls, but not a bad one.

Starting the top three in 3rd is Slime Girl with eleven votes (10.48%). We've sort of seen one already and one can... Imagine the fun you can have with one.

At 2nd is Fairy/Pixie with a massive jump to twenty votes (19.05%)! The most human looking of the lot, if usually tiny in size. One of the cutest, I'd say.

And 1st place goes to Laima/Medusa with twenty-two votes (20.95%)! Snake women are the sexy, huh? Or maybe people see all that tail and wanna cuddle?

Now, onto this story. We go to Ferra where this chapter has two parts to it. The first half involves James in Ferra and helping out Countess Jamaica. The second half...

Well...

Fair warning... It's not for the faint of heart...

[ - Act II - Chapter VIII: A Red Countess & A Damned Duchess - ]

The northern continent tends to be embroiled in conflict more often then not; It has fewer nations then Sererus but those that are there are larger as well. Smaller countries that do exist are often crushed by their larger neighbors to wipe out future threats, eliminate potential allies of their foes or to just collect new tax payers. Of these smaller countries was the Kingdom of Celtus. From what I know Celtus was a fairly large kingdom but war after war saw it's territory chipped away over the course of seven hundred years. Then a push into it's center split it in two before both fell.

Rather then live under the boots of their new masters thousands of Celts on dozens upon dozens of ships sailed south to Sererus. They would find poor receptions in Dominious and Arblade ports but upon arriving in Ironside they would find a warmer welcome. They arrived in 876 AF and the then High King Dirk Rodimus was more then eager to welcome them; a war with Arblade had concluded not a year before and the Empire did a lot of damage as they pushed into Geofu and Ur, attempting to split Eostia along that border. They did significant damage to the County of Ferra and the Barony of Tyn and in doing so with massive amounts of towns and villages razed to the ground with their inhabitants. High King Rodimus saw these immigrants as a means to quickly restore the population of his realm; although he was careful to mix the Celts with local Eostians to not only breed unity but also assimilate the newcomers to their new home.

Additionally House Tinhaven was nearly wiped out and in no condition to carry on their duties of minor lords of Ferra so the High King appointed the leader of the Celtic immigrants, Johnathan Galeraven, in their place. Quickly they settled into their new homes and began to share design and patterns never seen before in the land; a strange mix of tribal and high art to create interlocking chain patterns. Some people began to adopt or adapt these designs for themselves and the halfling communities adored them; indeed there are now very few halfling noble houses without some Celtic element to their banner.

A minor house is what House Galeraven would remain until 997 AF and what was, I feel, the cause of what we now call the Age of Turmoil; the Great Pox. I'll cover this Pox in greater detail later on in this tome but it's nickname 'The Nobleman's Reaper' was well earned with a great many deaths in many noble houses at the time. House Galeraven was the least effected by the pox of all the Ferra lords and moved to assume temporary and emergency authority from the ruling lords of House Zale when the entire line fell ill. Count Raven Zale would die shortly before his son, then two year old Carlos Zale. One by one the whole line grew too ill and would die. Countess Henrietta Zale officially transferred power and rulership of Ferra to House Galeraven before her death months after her son died.

Now Count Bret Galeraven did his best to keep all of Ferra running and as the Dominious Conflict of 998 AF started he left his eldest son in command of the County to go and march to war himself on the front-lines. Indeed, many would note the bravery the new Count had on the field of battle. Upon his return at the next Council of Lords his position as ruler of Ferra was recognized formerly by the crown. Upon his return to Ferra he would work to remove the slavery that House Zale permitted deeming it as an 'unneeded restriction of will'.

Today the County of Ferra is well known for their mix of heavy infantry, horse archers and light cavalry; all of whom march under House Galeraven's motto: Nemo me impune lacessit.

'No one attacks me with impunity'.

~Dominic James Pencraft, The Eostia Historia

[-]

We rode alongside the river, going north the way we came. We would bypass Pinewall this time; Prim was not interested in dealing with Baron Gregran Pineforge and to be honest, neither was I. Turning westward from Pinewall and still riding beside the river before turning north near the river's end to reach Ferra's capital, Wallace City. Along the way training was done here and there as I sparred with Carmen to get in my sparring XP; four thousand, four hundred and forty XP in total. I was about twelve hundred XP from another level up, so the sparring was well worth it; doubly so as Carmen had been climbing levels as well, reaching level fifteen now between training and the combat we had in Greenwave. Riri, Aeris, Miria and Makoto had also jumped up by two levels to eleven and Ur'Akara hit level eight between both events.

As we rose up towards Ferra's capital we rounded a path that hugged a small hill, another hill on our other side. A sizable guard tower sat at the top of one of the hills; it was quite clear that ambush was once a concern on this road back in the day, once upon a time. Once the road straightened out we could see the city proper.

Wallace City was second only to Stonewall City in size, at least in regards to territories of Ur. Even Colt Ridge was smaller, although not by much. The city boasted two layers of walls; city walls surrounding the whole thing plus a second wall near the center that encompassed a district for minor nobility, richer merchants and other notables. In the center was a large and massive keep that served as a central home for ruling lords back in the day; one of the most visible landmarks of the city outside of a massive pine tree that could be seen sticking out in a section of the eastern section of the city. Like many places during the First Age of Conflict Wallace City (Known at the time as Zalecenter City) has a castle in the center of it as opposed to outside of it. Compared to many of it's neighbors it weathered the storm the age brought rather well, being at peace for half of it. They still had to fight, bleed, struggle and rebuild like everyone else, but it wasn't as bad as in, say, what would become Classa.

Ruled by House Zale for that time it would end up being conquered by Verlangen early in his rise. A few members of House Zale fell in line with him and survived for the century of his rule before helping Joanna overthrow him. They didn't want to join Eostia at first, fearing forced abolishment under the rule of the Seven Legendary Shield Maidens at least until the Aegis Accords were proposed.

Joanna, from what I know, wanted to force abolishment but was in no position to do so. Some people believed that she decided against a swift but risky and bloody war of abolitionism that would free the slaves but see the new nation weakened with rivals such as Balanar who would be more then happy to reinstate slavery and choose a slower path of bleeding the desire to enslave out of her realm and replacing it with abolitionism, something she wanted her heirs to carry on. And most have done that, Celestine Lucross being the most notable.

In the years following Eostia's founding Castle Ferra would be built outside and away from the city on a hill leaving the city's keep as a secondary stronghold as needed. The city keep boasted a light garrison and was home to the local mayor and used as a second home for House Galeraven as needed although they preferred to live in Castle Ferra. The city walls were white washed, but the crenelations were colored red. I knew from my memories that each rear crenelation bore a spell stone with a shield spell on it; the spell wasn't overly powerful but guarded against arrows and light spells in war and weather in peace.

Over the front gate, as usual, was the emblem of the local house. This was a standard knight's shield with a raised, center point. The outer edge bore a thick, dark blue outline with a thick but less so yellow outline under it. The inside was a dark red and in the middle was a Celtic style ring made of two, crisscrossing yellow lines with a thin, black outline. The gaps between the lines were dark blue, the inside of the ring the same dark red as the outside.

In the center of the ring was a dark blue raven with wings on each side and it's face turned to the left. It bore a thin, black outline but more striking was the red (Normal red that seemed bright compared to the dark red of the rest of the shield) designs on the raven; some Celtic patterns on the upper wings, torso and tail of the design with a line from the right wing's pattern reaching up to coil around where the raven's eye would be. It was a simple but striking emblem; not unlike most of House Galeraven to be honest.

Inside the walls one could see the buildings were mostly made of stone that were white washed but with painted frames and doors. The odd building was fully painted a color; usually green, blue or red. The doors often had carved Celtic patterns set to them with chain, circular and cross patterns the most popular with the indents painted some off color. Soon we arrived at the Adventurer's Guild. A few of the people inside I recognized from Argon's guild and before approaching the local manager we chatted for a moment. Apparently Regina's ice cream shop had gotten noticed by the public; I haven't check in on her since I left wanting to be surprised when I got home but by the sounds of it she's had steady work.

It seems a lot of Argon's adventurers moved south into Wallace City to chase a series of jobs; goblins had been harassing local farmers and going for their crops and livestock. Needless to say local mayors weren't keen on going hungry. Once done with our chatter I saw to the manager; a halfling woman with glasses, and saw to installing the Booster. It didn't take long to do at all; simple as could be. Then again, this was the simple one.

[(⸜∕ ) Place a Booster in Wallace City]

Of course we still had the one in the castle to do so off we were once more. Castle Ferra was set up next to a small river but also had a man made stream to draw in more water. This was both for the moat that was dug around the castle and it's other... interesting defense. The castle had dual walls as was common, with the inner wall higher then the outer but between the two walls was water. Yes, there was water between the two walls. And no, I don't mean as in a moat I mean as in the water level was near the top of the first wall; the water was drawn from the moat via magically power pumps to fill it.

A magical shield made a tunnel between the two walls for people coming into the castle and it was easily changed to close the tunnel and keep the water in, even if the gate was opened. And, if so chosen, the shield could be shut off to send the water off in a torrent out the gate and into any attackers... Which is what would happen if anyone broke the shield. It was an unusual defense that had dumbfounded foes a couple of times when sieges have happened.

I've also heard that the soldiers would also enjoy dips in the water in their off hours during the summer.

The Galeraven banner hung over the gate like in Wallace City as we rode through the tunnel made in the water and towards the keep. Once there we stepped out and myself and the usual suspects (Prim, Miria, Aeris, Makoto, Riri, Ur'Akara, Carmen and Troya) were invited inside by the guards. Inside was white washed walls with Celtic patterns running up and down the pillars holding up the second floor landing, a rich, red carpet was on the floor and ran up the stairs with the House Galeraven banner stitched into the front near the center of the room and both sides of the room boasted large raven statues with, you guessed it, more Celtic patterns set into it. And standing there at the bottom of the stairs with a casual smile on her red painted lips and a soft sparkle in her gray eyes was our hostess. The woman was in her late thirties to early forties but looked closer to her late twenties or early thirties.

She stood some five nine and bore flowing, waist long, ginger hair that seemed like the color of an open flame and looked slightly untamed. She wore a red, high collar dress with an open chest that was slit on both sides with a deep red, diamond panel under her C-Cup breasts trimmed with gold. A set of brass colored pauldrons were on the shoulders with rounded points sticking out slightly with three, red tassels with gold trim and edges in addition to the red cape held under them and behind her. At the front of each of them was a small plate with three emeralds set to them. Her biceps were likewise clad in such armor and under it reaching down to the wrist was a leather, detached sleeve in deep red. Gold colored boots were on each foot and her legs were left bare. A deep red belt was around her waist with three emeralds on the front, set in their own gold piece. A strap from the belt was hanging down the front.

An emerald ring sat on her right hand and I could see a sheathed sword at her left hip with an emerald in the brass guard, an off black, spiraling grip leading to a brass pommel with another emerald set to it. Gold earrings with matching, large emeralds hung off her ears and finishing the look she bore a gold crown that wrapped around her head with a band going over the top. One large emerald was set in the middle at the front, two smaller ones flanking it while along a series of small rubies and yellow garnets. She smiled wider as we got closer, opening her arms wide and stepping into me with a hug. "James! Miria! Ach, you two, it's been months but it feels like years." She said with a greeting and a soft laugh as she let go to hug Miria in turn; her voice carrying a soft but noticeable Scottish tang to her words.

(-)

Name: Jamaica Galeraven
Title: The Red Countess of Ferra
Class: Barbarian
Level: 34
Alignment: Friendly
Reputation: 85
Status: Healthy, Cheerful, Relaxed

Romance Rating: 99
Corruption Rating: 13

Known Traits
[?]

[Heart of Fire] You have an affinity with the fire element. +15% damage and effect to all fire spells, Combat Arts and abilities
[Moxie] Each time you defeat a foe in battle increase your Con, Str, End, Dex and Agi by 2%, up to eight times. This lasts up until one minute after your last fight
[Unshakable Faith] If the cause is just you can fight on! +10% to all stats but Lck when fighting for a cause you believe in
[Beacon of Light] You are an inspiration to allies and intimidating to foes. +5% all Stats to allies with a Corruption rating of 25 or less. -5% to all Stats to all foes with a corruption level of 50 or higher.

Daughter of Robert and Arthur Galeraven she was, initially, third in line for the throne of Ferra however her aunt, Patricia, wanted the throne for herself and sent two dozen assassins to slay her, her brother and her sister. She was the only survivor, the assassins dead by her hand. Once she learned of her aunt's deception she slew her by her own hand, but not before her father was slain as well. In the legacy of her father and siblings she vowed to rule with a good hand and warm heart once she assumed rule from her mother.

(-)

"And Riri, you seem healthier each time I see you, lass!" She said, moving to my Maid hugging her. "And Ur'Akara, you seem to be growing a tad too, ne?" She let off, giving the other maid a hug before turning to Aeris. "And Aeris, you haughty arse, come here!"

"I do not need to be huuuuuugged!" Aeris let off before Jamaica hugged the elf firmly, even lifting her up off the floor with a laugh before setting her down.

"Ah, and Prim my Princess, welcome to my home. This is the first time you've come here, yes?" She said, arms wide as she hugged Prim who smiled and hugged back.

"Yes; thank you for letting us into your home, Countess Jamaica." Prim said warmly as Jamaica chuckled.

"Ach, none of this 'countess' stuff; we're all friends here, lass." She said as let go and stepped back with a wave of her hand before turning to look at Makoto "I recognize your bodyguard and your lieutenant, but I don't know the easterner. Can I have your name, lass? Another of Prim's guard?"

"No cou-eer, Jamaica, I am Makoto Taihei and I operate as James' bodyguard." The swordswoman said as she set a hand to her chest as she bowed slightly as Jamaica had a brief look of surprise.

"Are you now? My, my, lucky lad he is then, hmm?" The redhead said with a grin as she crossed her arms under her bust and turned to face me as Makoto blushed a nice, flush pink. "You got quite a catch there."

"Jamaica, please... She's a friend and my bodyguard, she's not here just because she's pretty." I replied after a smile. I caught Makoto blushing a bit deeper (I did word my phase carefully to avoid risk of insulting my cute bodyguard... Who I had slept with) as Jamaica's grin widened. "But we're not here for you to tease me relentlessly."

"Aye, aye. The booster." Jamaica said with a nod. "Well before I set your cute arse to work we can have ourselves a late lunch and catch up a tad, hmm?" She let off before walking off to the dining room. "I have the kitchen at work and it'll be done soon." I blinked and turned my head to look at Miria who looked back to me with a shared look of light confusion. We knew Jamaica well enough to note something was off. Jamaica was, relaxed attitude aside, a 'work-before-play' type; I expected her to set me to work and then offer lunch. Offering lunch before we worked?

I wasn't saying she was replaced with a body snatcher but it was off.

[-]

Lunch was a series of various foods; battered and fried fish with a series of herbs and spices (That Miria always loved), likewise battered and cooked chicken with the same herbs and spices (Which I had to say was a great dish, a favorite of mine), haggis (That was a dish I never cared for but Makoto took a quick liking to it), roasted beef sandwiches, mashed potatoes with chives and butter added in, slices of cheese with herbs and garlic set into it, garlic bread and some sort of pudding. It was quite a large lunch with much more selection then most meals we've been served on the road. If I didn't feel like something was off before I felt it now. Doubly so as on the menu was something both I and Miria loved; items Jamaica would know.

I was feeling buttered up. And I knew her well enough; she preferred simpler lunches.

Conversation was pleasant as well; Jamaica telling stories of what she and my parents once got up to in their youth and what her daughters were up to, me telling her about the Mandeville incident, the full story of what happened with Halbert as well as the fight against the Hog Queen.

Mentioning Halbert prompted Jamaica to tell me of a few odd rumors flying about; they hadn't reached me directly until she told me but it involved what happened with Halbert and myself due to the battle we had in the hedge maze in Fortress Ur. Naturally the story was told to people with the truth told by the honest Grand Duke (Although with a few details missing, such as which poison was used and how many guards died) to the guests... And of course people didn't fully believe what was told, imagined what wasn't being told and with guesses as to what really happened. And the people making this conspiracy theory decided to paint Halbert as some sort of tragic figure.

I just wish I was making this up.

According to some of the rumors the 'poor man' (Ugghhhh...) had suffered since his early childhood and was traumatized by how he lost his family (True) and saw in Princess Prim an innocence worth protecting from the same harms that he had seen and suffered (Possible? I didn't have the chance to ask) and in time fell in love with her and burned with jealously as a higher born male swooped in, saved the Princess from goblins and in doing so did the butler's self appointed job for him (Mostly true, I'd have to say) and walked away with the heart of the Grand Duke's daughter (True). In passion he tried to end the Baron's son for her hand (Mostly true; I think he'd hate me Prim or no but her love for me was the thing that stung him the most) but failed and when his murder attempt was discovered he kidnapped Prim in a fit of love and desire to make her his (Half true; I didn't know the full story still but there was something else that set him off; whatever tipped him off to this Black Storm he mentioned).

In short the whole thing was recast as a love triangle turned tragic drama with very passionate, 'likable' (Ha!) Halbert opposing a younger, honest if naive (I didn't think of myself as naive, but I wasn't perfect most assuredly) deeply in love (My feelings on Prim were still a bit... Murky to me, but I did care for her deeply, yes) and in the end it was a fight to the death for her love and heart! It was romantic! It was passionate! It was epic! Drama! Gravitas! Tragedy!

Bullshit!

Whoever had spun that yarn of malarkey clearly never met Halbert. Sure, there was some truth to the tale but it was stripped of a lot of context, reality and showed a lack of knowledge of everyone involved. It was like telling a story about Rihanna and Chris Brown that painted the later as a 'passionate, honest man' and the reason he beat up his girlfriend was 'out of love, honest desire and she called him a bit of a loser'. In short they missed the entire point of what happened.

I groaned at it and the girls also looked annoyed but Prim and Carmen had the more interesting reactions. Prim was gawking openly; slack jawed and mouth wide open in what could only be called 'What The Fuck Plus' as she went a shade whiter from the realization that people saw her kidnapping, harsh spanking and trauma via watching two of her closest friends nearly die from a monster wearing a man's mask... turned him into a tragic figure worth crying about.

I mean he was a bit tragic, I'll grant him that much, but I'm not shedding a single tear for his sorry ass; he dug his own grave. I just pushed him into it. With a sword.

Carmen by contrast was clearly pissed. She was trying to remain stoic but given how red in the face she was getting as she grit her teeth and the way she was clenching her fists (She was bending the fork in her hand, even) it was clear she would have choice words to say to these people, to say the least. I swear if she got angrier she would turn green, grow another five feet in height with another four hundred pounds of muscle and find something to smash, Hulk style.

It was after that I recalled something... There were people who actually took Brown's side. Some of them women. And some of them blamed Rihanna for it. It's a reminder of a simple fact of the matter...

Stupid is forever.

After that conversation we moved on to a few odds and ends with Jamaica granting quite a few complements all around (Not unusual for her to give a bit of praise, but not this thick) with added touches to my and Miria's arms in a motherly way, talking about how grown up we've become... Which was unusual as all of my memories pointed to her treating us with maturity and not in an 'Aunt That You Haven't Seen Since The Last Family Reunion' way. I shared another look with Miria and Makoto finally spoke up.

"I apologize but James, Miria, but is something the matter?" She asked us, down the table and across from me. "You two keep sharing queer looks." I shared another look with Miria before I spoke up.

"I dunno." I began before looking to our hostess who had a faint blush to her cheeks. "Is there an issue?"

""Ach, lad, what would make you think something is off?" She asked me with a small easy smile... With a slight twitch to the corner of her lip.

"I expected to put the booster in place since you're usually a work before play type." I began. "And you never really mothered us before. Or buttered us up so much. And usually when we visit the lunches aren't this varied. I could be wrong, but it does feel like something is a tad off. Knowing you there's no attempt at deception but it is odd." I explained as she sighed.

"...Aye lad, I will admit I do have a bit of a favor to ask of ye..." She let off as she folded her hands before her, setting her elbows on the table.

"If I may ask, why didn't you lead with that?" Aeris asked, blinking as she set her fork down as we all looked to Jamaica. She sighed and bit her lip softly.

"Aye, well a couple of reasons. I do hate askin' for favors." She said, sighing before sitting up. "And I hate it worse when it's something I should be able to handle but can't because of my position. In short... I need a man to go an' fight for my honor." I blinked. Miria blinked. Aeris blinked. Riri and Ur'Akara blinked.

"I'm... Pretty sure you could handle a fight." I said, tilting my head to one side. "I'm sure you're still stronger then I am right now; so shouldn't you be able to just put the boots to the guy giving you trouble?"

"Aye, aye. Normally I would." She admitted softly with a shrug. "But to explain; there's a bit of an old Celtic tradition of noble men wooing noble women endlessly to wear her down with his charms until another, better and noble suitor comes along to beat them or they beat the suitor who comes up. It's a sort of outdated one that a lot of people find romantic and features in a few, old Celtic stories." She said, leaning back in her seat. "But as it is an outdated tradition no one really takes it seriously anymore... Except that little bastard Victor is trying to use it to worm his way to a marriage with me."

"Von Blitzhaus?" Prim let off, surprise in her voice. I was also quite surprised; there was no doubt in my mind that Victor wouldn't take 'no' for an answer (I mean he's an advocate for slavery, why would he?) and that he would more then love to tap Jamaica's ass... but he made it clear he was chasing Prim's hand and I doubted he'd accept a wife old enough to be his own mother.

"Van Bludhorn." Jamaica replied with and I felt myself flinch and frown. Miria hissed softly and from the corner of my eye I could see Aeris snort and cross her arms. Riri quivered in her seat and bit her lip. Once more, ignorant of the implications of what was said Makoto was the one to pop the question.

"I presume there is little love to lose for this... Victor Van Bludhorn." She began. "Who is he? And why such a response?"

"James, if you will." Prim said with a sigh, allowing me to be the one to explain.

I sighed and nodded as I started to explain. "House Bludhorn are the rulers of the Duchy of Anvil; south central of Geofu. It's a slave state and alongside Hol'canna and Elddale is one the states called 'The Triad of Tradition'; the three most powerful of the slave states. House Bludhorn might also be... Well... ... They make House Blitzhaus look cuddly by comparison." I said with a sigh. "Before the practice was banned in Eostia the family used to have a reputation of employing... Living statues..." I said through grit teeth as I snorted out softly.

"I... Do not understand why Eostia would frown on golems or their us-"

"Not golems." I said, cutting her off as I gave her a firm look. "A living statue is what you get when you take a person, chop off all of their limbs and put them up on display as one would a bust." I explained as Makoto blinked then paled as realization hit her like a truck hit a guy about to go to another world. "Verlangen was the one who came up with the idea, of course. As the story goes he crushed a rebellion led by a knight by the name of Justica Lightrise. After having her... publicly used for three days straight he had her limbs removed, her tongue cut out and then had her placed right next to his throne for over a year as a demonstration of the brutality of what awaited rebels and usurpers in his empire."

Jamaica's face remained unchanged, although her jaw tightened a bit. Prim, Miria and Aeris knew of Bludhorn's use of Living Statues so weren't surprised but they still looked uncomfortable about the topic. Riri shivered harder; while I doubt Mandeville would do such a thing to her as an ex-slave she could have been bought by someone who would. Ur'Akara looked angry and let off a soft hiss. Carmen and Troya were upset but tried to control it. Makoto openly gawked at me however.

"Someone... Someone would do something so heartless?" She let off, her voice wavering as I sadly nodded trying to not let my own anger show.

"Verlangen was not a kind ruler and rumors say he would favor underlings who came up with the cruelest of punishments." I said with a sigh. "One man came up with a form of torture where someone was locked into a bronze, hollowed lion statue with spell stones with a fire spell installed under it; heating the whole thing, slowly cooking the people in it and allowing the only source of air to be a tube near the mouth of it; it's said when in use it sounded like the statue let off pained howls... And the first one to go in was the man who designed it."

"Gods..."

"It's said after one uprising Verlangen made two whole columns of living statues that led to his throne room." I added with a deep sigh as I looked over to Makoto. "Bludhorn is the only house that used them after the Empire of Brazen fell; even the other slave states find it distasteful and banned it in their regions." Most of them also found it wasteful, but only because the slaves just sat there and the resell value went down. But, to be fair, it was too inhumane for even the likes of Arnold Von Blitzhaus, resell value be damned. "To put it simply Celestine put it to a vote to ban living statues in all of Eostia shortly after she assumed rule and the response was a resounding, unanimous ban on it. Not one of the slave states made a move to challenge it." Of course Bludhorn wasn't the ruling house back then, otherwise they may have fought to keep it. No joke, sadly. "However there are rumors they still have a... private collection, although hard proof hasn't been found."

There was silence for a long, long moment as everyone took in what I said. Finally Makoto spoke up once more. "I see now why this concerns you all." She said as I nodded.

"As for Victor Van Bludhorn himself, I don't think I've met the guy." I began, frowning in thought. "Third son of the duchess and I've heard he's a bit of a brat and a bit of a mommy's boy, but not much else." If I had to explain the rumors I've heard of him he'd be the Anti-Cress. Cress while his persistent pursuit of Miria's heart could have been seen as obnoxious or even hopeless but he never crossed a line with her. Hell, I had thought that if he had won back in the archery contest he'd wimp out on the bet despite what he'd get (And later on Miria said he admitted as such to her) and he would do his best to make her happy if he had a chance. He was a dogged, nice guy who would keep trying but wouldn't step over his bounds. Victor?

Everything I've heard suggested he was an entitled, childish douche who thought anyone he pursued should just shut up, do as told and lift the skirt up already. Manipulation and blackmail were on the table for him and throwing money at people was another option. Supposedly he thought of himself as a grand man of culture and class but was really a giant, immature brat with all the class and culture of a caveman. And likely as smart.

"Aye, trust me, the boy is an arse the size of South Point and an comes with an ego that would bloat across it's borders." Jamaica let off with a sigh. "Little shit thinks because no one will fight him for my hand that means he's entitled to me... And my realm."

"Ahhh... I see his plan now." I let off with a sigh. "It's as clever as a dead fish, but I see it." In short Victor's plan was as such.

Step One: Marry Jamaica.
Step Two: Become Count of Ferra.
Step Three: ?
Step Four: PROFIT!

As the third son of Duchess Alundra Van Bludhorn he wasn't going to inherit Anvil so if he saw himself as some form of rightful ruler (Ha!) then he needed to marry into it. And a widowed, older woman who could use another husband would look like a tempting target! Apply woo, get wed, become Count and bask in the people's love for you!

Except no one with common sense would try that plan in that manner. I knew once I went on my 'Install Boosters Quest' that I risked running into shit tier nobility but I didn't expect to run into them here of all places in Ferra.

"So the issue is he's claiming that by tradition if no one challenges him then he can marry me." The countess huffed out with a shrug. "Never mind there's no legal backing and only fools blindly follow tradition... And he refuses to head home and stop being an idiot about it."

"Can't you just demand he leave?" Prim said, tilting her head slightly. "This is your realm, you are the sovereign here and you can expel him as you wish. Why haven't you?"

"Part of it is that Bludhorn has been importing quite a bit of cotton, wool and an abundance of wood." Jamaica answered. "They've become one of our most prominent buyers as our other trade partners have reduced their demand for awhile. Word is they're stocking up on gambeson armor and spears in the event they needed to raise conscripts quickly." This wasn't unusual; Anvil has Balanar as their southern neighbors and while they got along better with the other Kingdom then Classa they had no real love for them. They were willing to trade slaves back and forth but that was about the only thing they agreed on. "Because of that I've a bit of a worry that Alundra, bleeding cunt that she is, might buy elsewhere if her little boy comes home crying."

"And as House Mungale has no real dealings with House Bludhorn it wouldn't hurt if I sent him crying home to his mother."

"Aye, that's the right of it." Jamaica replied to me as she nodded once. "The tradition needs a noble and I need someone who I can trust to trounce the little shit and not try something stupid. There's not many I trust for that, and seeing as Merlin has a wife I guess I'll have to go with you." She said, softly smiling as she shrugged. "Joking aside, he's become enough of a pain that I need him gone but I have to avoid overly offending his mother; at least until Ferra's usual customers need their trade once more and I can tell her which of my ass cheeks to attach her lips to." I nodded in thought to that. I didn't have a problem with this, but it did mean the risk of crossing Alundra Van Bludhorn.

The Duchess of Anvil was currently the third oldest ruler in Eostia and the oldest human ruler. She was also known to be a rather ruthless and vindictive type. Cruel to her enemies and having no friends, only allies she was not a woman to cross lightly. I was told her first two sons were raised harshly to hardened them and only pampered her third son to keep him glued to her as more of a pet then a son. Rumors of what she did to prisoners of her regime were varied; most involving the arena in her capital city. That said I don't think she'd be too upset if I smacked Victor a bit; after all he was more of her pet and she was a cruel one even to her family. As long as I didn't kill or cripple the guy or do something to humiliate him too badly she'd likely just considering it life giving Victor a harsh lesson. Hells, according to rumors her eldest son got the absolute snot beaten out of him by the son of a minor Faircas noble and by all accounts she invited him to her bed.

Although some of those rumors also said she made her son watch, which are likely untrue. .. Although given this crazy world an evil mother riding the dick of the guy who beat up her son isn't the craziest thing that could happen here.

"Well, I'm a busy man Jamaica..." I started to say with a chuckle. "But I do have time for the finer things in life. Good company. Good food. Punting a jackass back home over the border."

"Aye, aye, I figured you'd might. Right then, I know how we can get the bastard to challenge ye and send him packing." She told me with a warm smile.

[-]

As it turned out Jamaica's grand plan could be summarized as a 'shopping trip'. Yes, we went shopping in Wallace City.

Well, don't over-complicate I guess.

She held my arm as we walked down the street with Prim walking at my other side, Carmen and Makoto flanking us as we chatted, darted in and out of various stores, browsed and looked about. I did find one good thing along the browsing; a magic ring. The seller talked it up as a mana bolstering ring and that it improved a mage's power. He was right; just not how he expected; it didn't boost your magical power but your physical power which translated as Strength, but it was still a ring that only mages could use. I took a moment to ask Olivia, my friendly AI, if stats gained via equipment could count towards a class change and the answer was, surprisingly, yes.

(-)

Name: Mage's Ring of Might
Type: Ring
Stats: +1 Str per every 5 Mag (Limit of 10)
Damage Bonuses: +1 Magical Damage

Buy Value: 23 Gold
Sell Value: 11 Gold

A ring forged by a mage who wanted to get stronger quicker, the Mage's Ring of Might will grant a magic user a boost in strength based on his magical strength... To a point. Can only be worn by Mages, Clerics, Arcanists, Spell Blades, Paladins and their Upgraded Classes.

(-)

A bit of haggling brought his price down from twenty five gold to twenty two and I bought it from him. It was a brass ring with one, small green spell stone in the middle and two slightly smaller blue ones flanking it. It was fairly flat so I was able to slip it on my finger then get my glove over it. A common spell to use on these items was a resizing spell to widen or tighten a ring. The amount the size can change is measured in millimeters, but that's all it needs most of the time. Once we were done there it was onto the next shop.

Meanwhile Miria, Ur'Akara, Aeris and Riri was on scouting duty. Miria and Ur'Akara were in cloaks and shadowing us at a distance, Aeris from the air with an illusion spell to hide herself with (I quickly figured out it didn't hide her shadow, but given the busy streets that's not a huge problem in this instance... But worth noting for down the line) and Riri ninjaed her way around the rooftops. Jamaica gave us a description of Victor and they would let us know when he was coming our way. By all accounts Victor had a few people working under him letting him know whenever she stepped into the city which as the local lord she had to do, time to time. And I imagined he would bribe people to find ways to summon her out...

My thoughts were cut and conversation ended as my Voxlux pinged. I slipped mine out and held it up but answered with audio only. "What's the word?"

"One knucklehead and accompanying miscreants are heading your way." Aeris' voice cut in softly as she gave a haughty huff. "He seems upset so assume he's aware she's with you."

"Got it. Thanks Aeris." I said as I hung up and pocketed the voxlux as I looked to Jamaica and nodded. She nodded back and we started to walk once more. Destination; the local park.

The park bore several large trees fencing in a large, well kept grassy area. Flowers bloomed where they pleased and a wide, well kept, stone paved path cut through the whole place in a cross. In the middle with the path forming a ring in the center of that cross was a massive pine, the one I could see even as we approached the city. The seed for this pine was brought from the homeland of the Celtus before they arrived in Eostia and planted it as they settled into the region. Yes, this tree was over a thousand years old. Jamaica was proud of it.

The park was mostly empty as we walked close to the great pine tree. The pine had needles that were in pairs, twisted in a distinct way and boasted them in large batches on the branches of the tree. Standing at one hundred and fifty feet tall and with a trunk twenty feet wide it was huge. I was sure magic was involved when it was being grown for it's extraordinarily long life (Even for a tree) and size. Once there we took a bit of time to talk as Miria and Ur'Akara joined us, slipping their cloaks off and setting them on a bench. Aeris landed by us not long after, dropping her illusion spell a few minutes before Riri joined us. We turned around and waited, the pine to our back.

We didn't need to wait too long as a group of seven people entered the park and marched towards us.

Of the seven people six were bodyguards in splint mail armor; the plates covered in dark brown cloth with brass trim and rivets with helms that had solid, brass coated plate visors. Aside from holes to breathe through the plate was solid; likely using spells to allow the wearer to see through the metal as if it were glass. Each guard had a shield on their back along with short spears and arming swords at their sides. They looked rather impressive and boasted levels from seventeen to twenty one.

The seventh was, of course, Victor Van Bludhorn and he was... Not impressive.

He was fairly short; maybe five foot three. Chin length brown hair that was curled at the bottom and framing a haughty and annoyed look as he marched over, glaring to me with brown eyes set over a wide, plump nose. He also was... chubby. He bore a bit of a gut that was contained in dark brown gambeson with panels at the sides and shoulders that were yellow with darker yellow colors as trim, yellow boots and gloves with dark yellow trim and a matching beret of all things. At his left hip was a rapier in a sheathe; the spiraling D-guard capped with a ruby on the pommel. Yeesh, my Anti-Cress compression was more spot on then I thought; both had a feminine look and appearance to them, but while Cress looked cute and could fool people if he wanted to (And even if he didn't want to) Victor looked like Eric Cartman after hormone therapy. Hell, he even had thicker lips like a woman...

And a second chin.

Over the left side of his chest was, of course, the Bludhorn emblem. The edge of the shield was made up of yellow panels trimmed with dark yellow in segments with two, rounded sections at the top with a wide panel between them, the outwards panels moving down slightly, another down steeper, curving in then out to another curving in, small ones going straight in then down to a point. The inside of the shield was a rich, dark brown and made what was on it stand out. At the top was a series of yellow stars with darker trim with three rows; six stars, five stars then six stars. At the bottom was some sort of pointed, Gothic font with 'BLUDHORN' in dark red with a black shadow leaning to the right slightly. In the middle was a series of panels shaped like a bull's head with yellow eyes, white nose holes and silver colored horns that stuck out then turned upwards near the end.

"Peasant!" He let off in a shrill, angered voice (With a slight feminine tone, I should add) as he glared to me. "Who are you to lay hands upon the woman of Victor Van Bludhorn!"

(-)

Name: Victor Van Bludhorn
Title: Posh Pompous Patrician
Class: Swordsman
Level: 2
Alignment: Hostile
Reputation: 1
Status: Healthy, Upset, Annoyed, Chubby

Known Traits
[?]

[Momma's Boy] Your a momma's boy and you work hard for her! +5% to all stats when doing things for your mother
[Land Whale] You're rotundness gives you more force in your blows... If you land them. +2 to all Physical Damage. -5% to Dex and Agi.

Third of five children of Duchess Alundra Van Bludhorn he was the most pampered and spoiled of the bunch. This was because she felt the need to harden her first two children in their roles as the heir and the spare of Anvil and wanted a third child to dote on. Even with his younger sibling around he is the most spoiled of the bunch with his mother refusing him very few things in his life; in fact she's the only one he'll take a 'no' from.

(-)

"Nice to meet you." I said with a pleasant wave. "James Noxdecus of House Noxdecus. Barony of Mungale. My family's old friends with Jamaica haven't you hea-"

"Call her Countess Galeraven as of your station, peasent!" He bellowed out as he pointed out to me. "Gah! For this gall you should be beheaded! Quickly! Guards, sei-"

"Ach, you'll order such a thing in my realm, boyo, and I'll have you strung up by your balls before dinner." Jamaica warned him with a wagged finger. "He is as he says; son of Baron Merlin. You go an sick your boys on him, well, I'll need to tell your mother how you disgraced her. Not to mention bring the matter before the Grand Duke; we have his daughter here with us after all." She said pointed to Prim who stayed silent but curtsied.

"Gack!" Victor let off as he looked to Prim then me. I already wasn't impressed with him but his attitude and idiocy impressed me even less. "I... Well... What is he doing with my woman anyway!"

"Oh, I figured I'd let him make me his woman." She stressed the 'his' to Victor as she leaned on my shoulder. "I mean I haven't had a good roll in the hay for awhile and he's grown to be such and handsome man. Why I bet if I let him loose on my daughters I'd have grandchildren by this time next year! And another daughter to go with them!" I tried not to squirm as she hugged my arm and pressed her generous bosom to my arm.

I swear Victor's ears started to steam as he glared at me, his guards squirming as they looked around, not sure what to do. "Stop that! You're my woman! You listen to me! Unhand him now!" He let off as I made a show of extending a hand out, wriggling the fingers... Before planting it right on the MILFy ass of Jamaica, squeezing it openly. "What are you-"

"My woman now." I told him simply. "And if you wanna change that via the traditions you're appealing to, well, that means you'd have to ask for a duel." I said as he glared at me. "Of course, I doubt someone like you is man enough to try such a fight, so-"

"I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL FOR HER!" He bellowed out to the shock of his guards. And mine; good lord it felt like I was tricking a four year old child... That was dropped on his head daily.

"Hmmm... I dunno... I think the stakes need to be a bit... Higher." I let off, cupping my chin in an over exaggerated fashion. "Let's say... Loser also has to not only surrender all claims to her hand but also leaves Ferra for life." I might have been nervous about such a bet but thanks to Observe I knew what I was dealing with here; level advantage wasn't the end all, be all but I was eight times his level with a fourteen level gap. That was more significant then any other fight I had bar Wesland who I had back up for.

"Agreed!" Victor let off, huffing as he stomped forwards as he drew a rapier. I turned to Prim and smiled and nodded.

She nodded back and smiled. "As the highest ranking individual here I, Prim of House Fiorire, Princess of the Grand Duchy of Ur and Shield Princess will act as official for this duel. There will be no interference from any sides of this conflict. Any transgressions against a fair contest will responded to harshly." She said moving to the middle of the field and off to the side. As I let go of her Jamaica along with my friends backed away while Victor's bodyguards stepped back and moved into a line. "There will be no lethal intent in this match. James Noxdecus, are you ready?"

"Yes." I said drawing the Unicron's Horn as I pointed it to Victor.

"Victor Van Bludhorn, are you re-"

"Yes, yes, get on with it!" He shrieked out, grinning evilly at me.

Prim sighed and lifted a hand upwards before chopping it downwards. "Begin!" She called out. Between Halbert, Peter and Calibur and the difficult, stressful fights they subjected me to I could use a nice, easy battle for a change. My view flashed and changed, zooming in as the boss theme started up and...

I tried not to snicker... It sounded like something you'd hear in a Final Fantasy game in the middle of an epic boss fight... If it was played on a kazoo.

"If all I have to do is claim her is beat you... Then prepared to be beated!" He let off, sneering at me as he pointed his blade at me as he aimed his weapon to me.

_Posh Pompous Patrician_
Victor Van Bludhorn

My view returned to normal as he charged at me, screaming like he was Conan, changing a foe to frighten him with his bellowing...

If it wasn't for how girly he sounded... Well, it still wouldn't intimate a child still. But it didn't help. As he closed in I cast Adrenaline Rush, Reflex Boost and Focus Punch one after the other. Was this overkill? Probably. Did I care? Not really.

He pulled his arm back and aimed his rapier at me as he grinned a wide, maniac grin. To be fair to the guy his form was solid and well practiced and he was clearly trained to some degree... Although he was telegraphing what he was going to do so hard that he might as well have sent a letter to let me know what was coming yesterday. Soon he was in range to stab, thrusting his well crafted, tempered and forged rapier towards me; likely worth more then his butler's wages for a year...

And I just stepped to my right, letting the tip sail by me with my left arm cocked back. As soon as it registered to him that he missed with a bit of frustration coming to his eyes I threw my haymaker into his face; crushing cartilage under my knuckles as his nose, fat and bloated as it was, flattened to the left of his face as it broke. He stumbled back slightly, weapon arm going slack but not dropping his blade as I moved my sword to a reverse grip in my left hand, freeing my right.

Adrenaline Rush, Reflex Boost and Focus Punch were cast once more as I slammed my fist to his jaw in another, heavy haymaker. I could feel his bone crunch and give under the hit as his sword clattered to the ground before he fell face down next to it. He let off a pitiful groan as I stepped back, Prim trotting in. I could see the bodyguard sextet visibly shake their heads and slump; they didn't seem surprised and if anything weren't in a rush to look annoyed or upset. Once by his side Prim knelt down to look at Victor's rearranged face. She waved a hand before his eyes and they didn't move.

"Victor Van Bludhorn is unable to carry on fighting. James Noxdecus has won!" She declared as I heard victory music.

In kazoo.

[Defeated List]

Victor Van Bludhorn=5xp x 5 Official Duel Bonus
+20% Dark Horse of Eostia Bonus
Gain 30XP Total

Achievement Unlocked: You Bully!
Issue or Accept a duel against another person half your level or lower

Achievement Unlocked: Fists Flew At This Location!
Win a fight with only your fists and only Combat Arts

Achievement Unlocked: Flawless Victory
Defeat an opponent without taking a hit in less then thirty seconds

That was easy. Jamaica stepped forwards clapping twice. "Alright you steel clad lads. Or lasses, I can't see under the plates. Duel's done, bet's to be enforced. Take him to a healer then ship him back home. If he's still here by this time tomorrow he'll be dueling me and you can bet your metal clad arses I won't be as gentle as he was." The guards said nothing, just one nodding as four walked over. One picked up his weapon before each grabbed a limb and then turned to walk off. One moved to take point and the last remained for a moment, gave a salute and turned to walk off. I tossed my rapier back to my right hand before spun it a couple of times in the air, showing off for no reason, before sheathing it.

"Well, that's that. I put in something resembling effort." I said with a chuckle.

"Aye, pulled a political thorn out of my arse, you did." Jamaica said, walking up to me hand slapping down onto my shoulder with a smile. "Ach, I feel better already."

[-]

Dinner was a simpler affair then lunch but still well made; duck with some honey glaze on it, mashed potatoes with chives and butter in it and few assorted vegetables with ice cream as a desert. Conversation was relaxed and Jamaica was more then happy to share more stories, leaning over as she did so with a smile. Motherly touches ended for friendly shoulder slaps and she chuckled and laughed with us. Once done with dinner we got to work and the booster was finally installed, finishing another job for me.

[(⸜∕ ) Place a Booster on Castle Ferra]

Quest Complete!

[Quest Complete: Boosting Ferra]
+5 RSP
+5 SSP
+5 UTP

No XP? Ugh, so close to a new level too... Still, I'd make use of the stat points later on...

Eventually we retired to our rooms and once in mine I stripped down to my underwear, read a book and waited. If the past few months of this world had taught me anything then I knew I didn't have to wait long, and indeed it wasn't long when a knock sounded on my door. I set my bookmark into place and set my tome aside before walking over to the door and opening it up. And yes, Jamaica was there and wearing a rich, red robe with a gold colored sash. She blinked, looking over my state of undress as I smiled and stepped aside for her. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were expectin' me." I chuckled softly as she walked in.

"Let's just say that over the past couple of months I haven't had to chase tail, it's been coming to me for better or worse." I told her simply as I shut the door, moving to wrap an arm around her hips and led her towards the bed. "I had a feeling you'd come."

"Ach, now I can't make a show of how I owe you for pulling a political thorn out of my arse and how you won me as your woman, huh?" She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and hopping up; realizing what she was doing I caught her and picked her up bridal style. "Well, just means we skip a few steps here, hmm?" I chuckled in reply and nodded before finally reaching the bed and laid her down onto it, undoing her sash and opening her robe up. She was nude, as expected, and with a bush of red hair over her sex that I found charming. She squirmed to slip her rob off fully tossing it off the bed as I undid my own underwear, letting them drop to the floor before climbing over her then laying down next to her.

"Well, this is the fun part." I pointed out as I moved to push her legs up to her shoulders as close as I could before lowering my lips to her womanhood, licking her her wet core as my hands moved to her thighs, pushing down softly and rubbing gently. She moaned under me as I looked up to her face as she smiled down to me, cupping the back of my head, as she giggled.

"Don't be taking too long down there. I haven't tasted a dick in my cunt for sometime, ya know?" She said, rocking her lips up. "And you know I ain't no delicate dame; I want to be rutted like a cheap whore by a wild beast!"

Damn! If nothing else the woman knows what she wants!

I set two fingers to her sex, working them into her and they moved in quite well into her tight, wet folds. My tongue flicked over her clit as I made sure she was fully ready before leaning up and away to get ready to slip in my cock. Before I could Jamaica rolled to her front, moving to her hands and knees and smiled back, presenting her sex to me from behind. Getting the hint I moved behind her and set my cock to her lower lips, wedging them in... Then I reached down, grabbing her hair in each hand, slowly but firmly pulling pulling back. She hissed out as I more or less made two, long, red pigtails in my fists and rocked my hips into her. I held her like that as I slowly moved my hips, finding my range and taking a moment to enjoy the view before starting to pick up my pace then my force.

Soon my pelvis clapped her ass hard as she moaned under me, hissing out as I groaned over her. "Ach! Yes laddie! Fuck me like a two copper slut! Fuck me like I was Blitzhaus' daughter!" Damn! Woman had a mouth on her! I groaned out, slamming myself into her harder and harder, as her sex gripped down on to my cock. "Yes! Fucking yes! Rut me you bloody stud!"

I groaned a bit in pleasure while making a note to learn a soundproofing spell; I'm sure Victor (Van Bludhorn) could hear it wherever he was now. Hell I think Victor (Von Blitzhaus) was wondering who was screaming about his sister being fucked! I picked up my speed as she let off a series of cusses (Very creative ones, I might add) as I pulled firmer on her hair, panting as I worked her pussy.

"That's it stud! Rape my bloody womb until I'm fat with another kid! Fuck!Fuck!Fuck! That cock is a fucking club that could slay a bloody ogre!"

I presumed she enjoyed it.

Finally I let her hair go to wrap my arms about her hips, slamming into her harder and quicker before she started to cum just as I did. I pumped a thick load into her as we cried out in pleased delight, the pair of us rolling onto our sides. Finally I pulled free of her, panting softly as I moved to my back with a groan.

[Fucked List]

Jamaica Galeraven=100XP x 5 First Time Bonus=500XP
+20% Dark Horse of Eostia Bonus
Gain 600XP Total

She would roll over as well, half laying on my chest, her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her closer before relaxing. Our panting was the only sounds for a nice long moment as she smiled, one hand idly stroking my chest. Finally she spoke.

"I coulda been your mother, ya know?" She said wistfully. I blinked, turning my head to look at her.

Well that... Was a rather odd statement.

"Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean." I said as I looked her her face, slightly flushed. "Also, odd thing to admit to a guy you just slept with." I added as she laughed softly.

"Aye, aye... Maybe I shouldn't have said it, it's just... ... I did love your father, you know?" She said smiling sadly as she cuddled into me softly.

"... What's the story there?" I asked softly, curious as I looked down to her, rubbing her hip softly. She stayed silent for a moment before speaking up.

"When I was younger... A couple years younger then you are now I met Arnold Von Blitzhaus for the first time." She said, sighing deeply. Her face turned a tad sad for a while, even with a smile still there. "I mean he was everything a lass could ask for... Handsome... Strong... Smart... Bloody skilled warrior... Being well off and having a dominant personality helped too... Ach, mother told me to stay away, that he was a right dick and bastard... But like how the lads think with their dicks, well, lasses like I was going thinking with their clits and I wanted to be courted by him... And he did."

I shifted a bit; knowing Arnold as I did I had an idea where it was going even before she continued. "Then I visited him in Elddale and saw the slaves... How he treated them, how he saw them as... sub-human... Bloody hells... A man with power can make a woman feel desire, but that kind of cruelty is a hell of a cold shower for that. For a time, a brief time... I thought I could change him... It was clear I couldn't..." She sighed wistfully. "And not long after Garan came a'knocking. Went to the front lines and met Merlin for the first time. Fine enough lad. Not as handsome or strong as Blitzhaus... Well, not physically mind... Smarter but seemingly not as skilled. He flirted with me a bit but I paid him no mind. Thought I wanted the warrior types, not a mage."

He sighed deeply as her face turned down for the first time, saddening in full. "Then I saw him in action for the first time. Bamboozled a whole, bloody regiment of orcs. Snuck behind the lines to save your mother. Held off two dark elf mages by himself and won... Turned my views of him on their head... But by then Saxon had wooed him and I lost out. Hard lesson for a lass, ya know. There's what you think you want in a man... And what you need..."

"Jamaica..." I let off, struggling to find words as she laughed softly, moving to straddle my hips, pressing her hands to my chest as her biceps pushed her breasts together.

"Ach, don't mind me too much, laddie. I'm just an old woman looking back at what she could have had if she were a wee bit smarter and a wee less prideful." She said warmly as she giggled, smiling once more. "Turns out of you give a man a chance to impress you he will... And that you need more then a pretty face to satisfy you. But I had a good husband, even if I outlived him and I have good children I'd turn in for nothing. I had a good, happy life, regrets and all..." She leaned down to give my lips a soft peck before giggling. "I guess I brought it up to say... Life will have it's bumps so be sure you don't do something you'll regret."

"I don't plan on." I said, holding onto her hips as I looked back up at her. "And thank you for sharing the story with me. If nothing else I think I have good people with me to help steer me right."

"Good on you lad. Now then..." She said with a giggle, lifting herself up as she positioned my cock to her lower lips. "I still need to borrow this..."

I sighed... But didn't complain; it was good fun after all.

And I was curious about what else she would cuss out.

[-]

The Crown has called us to ride,
So we march on to foreign soils,
With our arms we're a steel tide,
And with them earn Our Spoils!

And when we arrive to fight there,
All will cower from our war beat,
And we'll slay them with no care,
And give them no quarter or retreat!

After their armies break under heel,
We will bask after all of our toils,
We will make all their women kneel,
And take them in irons as Our spoils!

Back to home with our gains in tow,
Naked and on display to see by all,
We show to our folk what we stole,
And tell them of the foe's fall!

We shall answer the good cheers,
Before they light the midnight oils,
And then we and all of our peers,
Shall go home and enjoy Our Spoils!

~Our Spoils, a common marching song of the Unitum Imperium Armies
It's still sung by many regional militaries that still employ slavery

[-]

Sanguinis City
Capital of Anvil
Southern Geofu

The Blitzhaus carriage halted before the Bloodstone Coliseum; the oldest of all the arenas in Eostia, and allowed Arnold Von Blitzhaus to step out of it. Built in the center of the city it dominated the view almost everywhere one went inside of it's walls. Built in an oval shape and structured with arches upon arches as it's walls it stood some one hundred and sixty feet tall. Rumors were in times of war it was used as a makeshift fort but any battle damage was long since repaired. It was built by the Unitum Imperium; an empire that rose to prominence in the Age of Discovery three and a half thousand years ago. Much of the modern, written language was created by them, the concept of standing armies and regular forces, primitive, basic magic use, the very tradition of slavery... They forged much of the foundation of what was to come and they started in what was now Geofu. Hell, the Dominion of Geofu's capital was once the capital of the Unitum Imperium itself once upon a time, Primus City. The First City of the continent as they had claimed before launching conquests throughout central Sererus, uniting the north and south under one, united nation, a United Empire...

And then some four to five hundred years after it was founded the First Age of Conflict came and with it a coalition of forces that would assault the empire from all angles. It's own provinces would splinter off and fight other rebel states or the empire itself as governors vied for power and soon the empire was fighting itself and everyone at the same time and then everyone was fighting everyone else at the same time. Even a man who saw the value of conquest and military force like himself could see how wasteful of an era it had been. He snorted softly. In the end the Unitum Imperium would be reduced to what was now Geofu in size... Before Verlangen rose up and conquered the vestigial empire.

He looked out to the coliseum as he walked towards it; it was painted bloody red and boasted bronze trim across the top. The key and most striking feature was set on a long, pointed ledge jutting out over the entrance, with an angled, stone support reaching down half the height of the building to bear it's weight; a giant, bronze bull some forty feet in height from hoof to head. Spell stones in it's eyes generated constant flames giving it burning eyes as it overlooked the city. The statue was of Bludhorn the namesake of what was once House Ruthril.

Werland Van Ruthril owned a massive, four thousand pound bull that he trained to be aggressive, vicious and murderous and unleashed it in the Bloodstone. It was said it's debut saw it enter against forty slaves; mostly old, worn, crippled and now useless ones so they could have one last use; entertainment. He had seen a painting of the bull before in Castle Anvil; the massive, red bull crushing a man's skull under a hoof as it gored a woman through her back with broken bodies around it.

Fittingly once House Ruthril rose from minor lord to local lord (By virtue of all other successors being removed from said line of succession) he would change his house name to Bludhorn. The seventeen stars on their house banner stood for each year the bull stepped onto the sands of the Bloodstone, one added for each year... Until a slave, guaranteed freedom if he could beat the bull, managed to slay it. A broken spear had been half buried in the sand and he used it to gore the bull's heart.

He didn't know what became of the slave but he imagined that Werland was not happy.

Five Elddale knights surrounded him as he walked towards the entrance, soon turning down a hall that led to a stairway. It was out of the way and access to the public was forbidden. After all it led to the VIP area; a box seat at the front of the arena set high enough to get a good view of all the sands but low enough to not have to strain to see what was happening. The inner walls were whitewashed and the hall leading to the seats bore many paintings recreating many, famous moments that happened in the arena. Soon he walked into the seating with rich carpets on the floor, spaced pillars holding up a handrail and plush, red seats with a series of tables with snacks and fruits on them for the guests as the cheers and cries of the arena's crowd spilled into the seating. As he walked in his knights moved to their stations outside the VIP box as he frowned at who he saw first.

"Stoneshard." He less spoke and more spat out.

"Blitzhaus." The man let off in return, much the same as he stood by a seat glaring at him. At six foot two Ryan Stoneshard wore long, rich, gray robes trimmed with red that fell to the knees over black trousers and red, leather boots. His hands were bare save a series of gold rings, each with rubies set into them save one larger one boasting a red spell stone. A crown with a single, raised point in the center made of gold sat on his head with a ruby set into it. By contrast to Arnold he was bald but bore a foot long beard that was pulled into a drill-like point. "You have arrived." He said, gold eyes looking over the Count of Elddale.

"As have you." Arnold replied to the Duke of Hol'canna. The two men were bitter rivals... And necessary allies.

What a weave politics made; uniting people who would otherwise feud resentfully. They first met at a school for lords in Skycrown City in Eostia's capital and competed over nearly everything save who was stronger; Arnold was a warrior and Ryan a summoner so they had vastly different martial strengths. But aside from that they competed in education, seduction, political maneuvering and cooking.

Arnold's mouth watering angel cake beat out Ryan's weak soufflé, no matter what Susandra said!

Under normal circumstances they would act to undermine the other and see the other fall save for two things; their realms were separated by five others and as the rulers of slaves states they were forced to put on a united front.

When Eostia was founded on the ashes of the Brazen Empire the bulk of it's states were traditionalist slave states as the Unitum Imperium had once been, as it should always have been... But some broke away and abolished the tradition. Still, it was only a handful... At first...

After one thousand years it seemed to come to a tipping point, more and more slave states abolishing the practice. Either new houses took control of a territory or heirs had silly ideas of 'equality' and 'freedom' for the masses. Sadly this weakness spread and spread and spread...

Now only ten states of Eostia remained as proper slave states... And of the eleven limited states there were issues. Classa's idea of slavery was a joke at best and a bad comedy of what was good and proper. Ironheart allowed for slavery of dark elves, but only those caught during conflicts with Garan; those born to dark elves or who never warred under their banner were as free as could be. However the real issue for them was Longroad.

The Barony of Longroad was just east of the Federation of Rad. It's territory from east to west was fairly small and thin, but north-wise it was half as long as all of Rad. Almost five hundred years ago it was a proper slave state and made much of it's money as a linchpin of slave transport, doubly so as the number of slave states dropped. It alone connected the northern slave states (And the limited states with them) and the southern slave states (Plus their limited states). Without the Barony the transport of slaves between the north and south was impossible, at least legally.

Then it's ruler decided to try and abolish the practice. The slave states of the time barely averted the tragedy by threatening it's economy with blacklists and dropped business. Even then it became a limited state, even if it was forced to sign a treaty saying it would remain such for five hundred years. The expiry date was due soon... And Longroad was not on it's way to renewing it's pledge nor turning back to tradition. And worse yet with fewer slave states and more support from abolitionist states in trade it seemed Longroad would turn abolitionist itself in a few, short years.

Who knows what would happen to the slave states after that...

"Now, now boys... No fist fighting, no arguing... Fun as it is for me to watch, it's very... Counterproductive..." A smooth, feminine voice came out as both men turned to their hostess who rose out of her plush chair to turn and face them. "After all, I invited you here to talk of mutual and current problems, not brawl out old ones..."

The woman was aged; looking like she could be in her late forties or early fifties... Although in truth she was in her late seventies, having aged remarkably well with no notable wrinkles and barely noticeable crow's feet. Grey hair was pulled back into a tight bun with a lock hanging down beside her right eye. Standing five foot six she bore light brown eyes that looked over them coolly as she frowned slightly to them. She wore a rich, soot black dress with patterns in darker threat set into it and gold colored, ivy like trim going up the v-neck with four points on each side of the gap with thin, gold chains crossing across it to help hold it in place over C-Cup breasts. Over her neck was an elaborate, gold color with points aimed outwards with the downwards point settling it between the top of her breasts.

The sleeves ended differently for each arm; the left ending in a short, gold plated bracer with the outside being a little longer with two layered points pointing to the elbow and one to the hand. The right arm ended with a black bracer with gold trim and lines going along it, the hand covered in a single black glove with gold plated plates over the back of the hand. The legs meanwhile, visible from her dress' single slit on the left side, were covered in black fishnet pantyhose and black, two inch heels on her feet.

On her left shoulder was a single, large pauldron with several claw like points sticking out along the outward facing top and several bladed points sticking out downwards that also stuck out. A gold colored rope wrapped under the arm twice, attached to the front and back of the pauldron. A length of white fur pooled from the top of the piece, behind her head and over her right arm where it hung. Two gold, egg shaped pieces hung off short chains from her ears and ending the look was a gold crown around her head with five large points at the front with smaller ones between them and going around the rest of the crown.

Alundra Van Bludhorn pointed to the two men with the wide end of a ash colored and gold plated smoking pipe before speaking once more. "Come. We have to speak on the state of our realms." She said moving to sit down once more before reaching out for her tobacco to refill her pipe. After a moment both men moved to sit on either side of her. Alundra was the oldest human ruler in Eostia and while all three of them often jockeyed for the leadership position of the slave states as a whole it was Aludra who ended up in the role more often then not as the de facto leader. Nether man liked to admit it, but she commanded respect and anyone with a brain could tell she was a woman of considerable power. "While it's not the reason I called you all here I am aware of a development that I'm sure you are watching, Arnold. Is the rumors that your Noxdecus rivals have made a magical communications system true?" She asked as she set the pipe to her lips, using her magic to make a small flame on her finger to set her tobacco alight.

"Humph." Arnold let off, looking down to the pit. A defeated, slave gladiatrix was on her hands and knees being bred by the massive man in the middle of the arena; the end of a warm-up match most likely. If she ended up pregnant it was likely she'd be sent out against another pregnant woman for a fight to the death; not of the fighters but of their living cargo. It was overly cruel and wasteful in his opinion but he said nothing about the practice; it was Alundra's realm after all. "It is. Merlin's son is the inventor and I've heard he's riding around the realm installing some devices to increase it's range across Eostia. And some of them are for sale with an added effect of allowing a local lord to address his people."

"Hmmm... I've heard of this thing as I got closer to Anvil." Ryan said, stroking his beard. "But we cannot rely on it; after all House Noxdecus is no friend of us and ours. Has Channer been able to make headway in replicating these communicators?" Arnold's son, much as Ryan Stoneshard hated to say it, was a gifted enchanter and would be able to reverse engineer the devices. Ryan didn't even need to ask if Arnold set the boy to work on them; it was obvious he would.

"No." Arnold said simply as both turned to look at him with surprise. "He's had a chance to look at it but has been unable to make heads or tails of it. I don't fully understand this kind of magic, but as he puts it that brat has come up with a new form of spell code... And spell coding. Channer called it something akin to a new language." Alundra raised an eyebrow as she looked to him as Ryan looked more openly surprised. The howls of the raped gladiatrix reached them but was ignored at his words.

"Truly?" Ryan let off in surprise as Alundra crossed her legs slowly. "I know you are not that educated in the magical like the meathead you are-" He let off as Arnold gave a scowl to him as he kept speaking. "But enchantment magics haven't changed much for over the past three hundred years, and even then it's only been refined on what was done two thousand years ago. What you are suggesting is this Noxdecus brat has invented over the last few years what scholars haven't in the last few centuries."

"I'm not that unaware of the implications, Stoneshard." Arnold spat out. "And it gets more interesting from there. We had the chance to secretly get more then one. After all, there are usually imperfections in the spell code and noticeable differences between the gibberish code and other bits the caster adds in to obfuscate the real code to avoid enemy replication which has further hindered my son's efforts into understanding how the spells work... But all of this gibberish code... It's uniform across all of the devices."

"Wh-what..?" Ryan added as he felt his jaw fall open. Alundra's pipe nearly fell from her hand as she raised both eyebrows, now more openly showing her surprise.

"He described it as if they were made with a stamp then corrected himself..." He said, the three ignoring the cries of the violated gladiatrix on the field as she climaxed, fertile sperm pushing up into a fertile womb. "And suggested it was more like a printing press."

Ryan leaned back into his seat, cupping a chin with a finger and thumb, stroking it and his beard. "If true... If true then we must assume Mungale will rise up in power in the next few years. It could become a county by the end of the decade."

"Perhaps sooner..." Alundra suggested as she took a drag of her pipe, the two men looking to her as she breathed out the smoke her lungs took in. Unknown to all but a few (Even unknown to those she sat with now) she was one eighth high elf; despite being seventy seven years old she looked closer to fifty five and was as physically fit as a thirty three year old woman, maybe even a twenty two year old woman. And unlike her mother her ears had no points leading others to think of her as fully human. "The next Garanian conflict could change that. After all it hasn't happened for fifty years now but promoting lords in warfare has happened. It's how Steel Lock rose from a county to a duchy after all."

The two men silently mulled over her words; it was true that it could happen, but it was rare and required exceptional service or some other significant contribution above and beyond the norm to have even a chance of happening, plus as it was the High Queen's choice her favor was also needed.

Alundra took another drag of her tobacco as the defeated woman was dragged away by her hair and off the sands of the arena. "So, the question then is this; how well does High Queen Celestine favor House Noxdecus in general and the boy in particular?"

"I am aware that the brat shared a dance with the High Queen at Princess Prim's party... And I learned recently that she was present at Mungale's last fair and was following him around for most of it. Even sat with him at their archery contest." Arnold explained as he crossed his arms. Alundra scowled as thought it over for a moment. "More over I learned as I came to Anvil that he's been installing his range boosting devices about with Princess Prim herself as his escort." Alundra replied to his words with an annoyed, soft snarl as he continued. "We must assume that these devices have her attention and is earning him her favor."

"In fairness Celestine would be an absolute fool if she were to turn down such a device and an even greater fool to not court the lad on some level." Ryan added as he thought as well. "Imagine what a tool it will be for the realm. The military applications are quite obvious, but think of the economics! To order what you need without the travel time of a letter. To check on market prices from across the country! To know where your trade wagons or ships are at any given time! Bloody hells, this device is a revolution!"

"And created by an abolitionist nation." Alundra let off, huffing. "While it won't do us any real damage, at least that I can see, another 'free' nation rising in prominence will diminish our influence a little in turn. Another sliding step towards the death of tradition."

"More important then before to have... Blitzhaus rise up and join us as a duke then." Ryan grumbled out as Arnold snorted. "Even so, the slide from tradition will continue... Unless something is done our way of life shall die a death of a thousand cuts."

All three were silent as the announcer moved to take the field. Arnold was the one who broke the silence. "Aside from my ascension we must address the problem with Longroad... As well as whatever insanity is going on with Xenera. And then find some means to bring someone more favorable onto Eostia's High Throne; Celestine's continued rule will choke us out bit by bit..."

"... I've heard rumors of someone making moves towards a conquest of Eostia. One seeking... Like minded allies." Alundra said after a moment, the two men looking to her calmly but with a hint of surprise.

"You suggest betrayal?" Arnold said, calm in tone and without accusation in his voice. After all it was the way of things; one house falling to be replaced by another, one crown crushed to forge another. To take part in such was another matter entirely however and to end up on the wrong side of the shift in power a serious matter... And gamble.

"I suggest we keep our options open." She said sternly before seeing something on the field. "Ahhh, here we go."

"Who is that?" Ryan asked as he looked down to the field. Being led by two guards down to the center of the sands was a woman standing around five foot eight and with C-Cup breasts. She bore clear, blue eyes and waist long, straight blonde hair with chest long bangs framing her face. She wore a set of white trousers and a matching tunic of low quality; she was not dressed as a gladiatrix or warrior. She was dressed more like a prisoner.

"A member of the Freebirds." Alundra let off with a scoff as she took another drag of her pipe. Arnold and Ryan both glared at the woman on the field upon hearing that; the Freebirds were some sort of group that had sprung up some four years previous. Their goal; to free any slaves they could and cause what damage they could to slave holding and capturing infrastructure as well as killing slavers, slave hunters and even slave owners. They were yet another problem on the growing list of problems they had. "I promised to release her after a fight in the arena. No rape, no branding, just one fight."

"How generous." Ryan said as he huffed. He knew there was a catch. Alundra was a cruel, ruthless woman who had once had a man castrated for ignoring her for a younger woman. "What's the catch?"

"Wait..." Arnold let off, his eyes widening. "You're going to use that beast on her, aren't you?"

All Alundra gave was a self satisfied smirk.

[-]

"And stepping into the sands is a slave thief!" The announcer, a fat, older man speaking into a small stick with a spell stone on the top used to amplify sound let off to the crowd. "Hailing from the Barony of Longroad, this is Anaya Ailelibre! And she will be fighting in... The Ring of Fire!" The crowd made noise as she was escorted in by the armed knights to the middle of the ring, mostly booing and jeering at her from the stand; thousands of faces in the crowd. Soon the ground shook lightly as the sand parted, a ring of stone rising up. Two sections didn't lift all the way; one facing her, one the opposite end. The knights pushed her into the ring as she walked in with a huff.

The Duchess had said all she needed was to do one, unarmed fight against another woman and she was free to go. She didn't even have to win. Knowing Duchess Bludhorn's reputation she knew there was a catch but she wasn't afraid of a scrap. She had joined her town's militia and fought as an adventurer for years before joining the Freebirds; one of it's earliest members in fact. She was a swordswoman and archer by trade and had seen more then a few tough fights. She knew some unarmed combat, so she was confident but also nervous. She knew the other boot would drop, soon.

Soon drums started to sound in a practiced beat as the gate on the opposite end of the arena opened. The crowd stirred, the jeering stopping as cheers began like a trained dog hearing the feeding bell. The lowered section of the stone ring behind her rose up before red spell stones along the ring lit up, creating flames over the raised stone sections; a literal ring of fire. Soon she heard something among the cheering; words. A chant.

"SHE'S GONNA KILL YOU! SHE'S GONNA KILL YOU! SHE'S GOING TO KILL YOU!"

It was not reassuring to say the least as a figure walked through the opposing gates. At first something about her seemed off but she couldn't place it... That was at first. Soon it hit her, just as she got a good look at the woman's figure as she approached.

The woman was huge. She didn't know how large but she was taller then any man she had met and boasted muscle. Massive, G-Cup breasts bobbed with each step on her chest, the woman's skin softly kissed by the sun with a dusky tan. A slave collar was around her neck, but it was thicker then normal and was attached to straps of some form of harness on her torso which attached to a metal belt around her waist, a leather codpiece locked to it. The only things covering her nipples were two, leather caps with metal balls hanging off two links of chain from them. Her hands were wrapped in cloth then straps of leather, metal bands around her arms where were muscular and thick. Another set of bands were around her thighs; massive limbs thick with muscle and power. Like her hands her feet was wrapped in cloth then leather straps. Wild, mid-back black hair hung off her head and framed her face which bore a calm, detached yet sad visage as she looked to her opponent as she walked closer.

"Annnnnnnd from the Thunderblaze Mountains we have the Titaness of the East! The finest slave gladiatrix this arena has ever known! The undefeated, undisputed and unprecedented female champion of the Bloodstone Coliseum! I give you... Madadh the Mountain!"

Once the woman stepped into the ring, the other stone section rising up and coming alight, Anaya finally got the full scope of the woman's size as she looked up at her. To her estimation this 'Madadh' was seven foot two! She wasn't fighting a woman, she was fighting a female ogre! All of a sudden she knew exactly why Alundra Van Bludhorn was happy to set her up in just one match.

The giantess stopped before her giving a soft huff as sad, gray eyes looked down to a woman that weighed less then half of her own mass; maybe even a third. "I apologize for what I must do. But I cannot disobey." She spoke in a calm, sad tone as she sighed. "But even so... I must break you." Anaya shivered at the words and tone. It was hard not to be intimidated by the massive woman. She was clearly built for power; far more then she was.

"Let the battle... Begin!" The announcer let off as the crowd roared in approval. Anaya was shaken from her thoughts and she knew she had to act. She rushed in, throwing a hard haymaker at the woman's torso. Madadh made no attempt to move away from Anaya as she slammed her fist into the woman's abs under the breast; a haymaker that once staggered a drunken man fifty pounds heavier then her.

Madadh didn't even flinch. She didn't move. She showed no sign of pain. For Anaya it was like punching a brick wall. Despite this Anaya knew she had to fight like her life depended on it.

Because it did. She threw punches at the woman; haymakers, straights, uppercuts to the abs and chest, hitting her across the torso. A punch to the breast squashed it down for a moment but still Madadh showed no sign of pain. She added kicks to the shins, thighs and hips as well. She contemplated a kick to the groin knowing first hand how painful it was, but dismissed it as she was sure the codpiece would negate the impact. She landed hit after hit but Madadh just ignored them all, looking down at her sadly.

"Madadh!" A loud voice called out, heard clearly over the jeering crowd. The giantess' eyes hardened and on Anaya's next punch a hand rose up to meet it, catching the fist with ease between palm and fingers. "Much better... Now... Begin!" Anaya realized the voice was the Duchess'... And as Madadh sighed she looked here in the eye as her hand clenched.

"Again... I apologize." She said as she started to squeeze. Anaya tried to pull her fist away but found the grip too tight... And soon too painful. She grit her teeth to avoid making a sound but soon started to scream out as the crowd cheered louder... Right before something crunched in her hand. She felt the bones in her hand give way as well as her middle finger as pain flared through it to her brain. She howled out, pulling on her arm to pull it away only to see Madadh's right arm cock back next to her head. "If I knock you out it'll be worse for both of us. I am sorry." She said before the meaty, massive fist slammed into her face between the eyes. Her whole body went limp from the impact, held up only by the grip on her broken hand as she groaned; despite the worst hit she ever took (From a pulled punch!) she was still awake and aware as she was pulled up right. She was able to stand on shaky legs as her throbbing hand was let go... before a fist slammed into her gut like a war-hammer.

Air left her lungs as she covered her abs from further impact, gasping as she fell to her knees. She coughed twice before another feeling hit her from the inside... And she threw up the slop she was fed in her cell to the floor. Laughter sounded from the crowd as she tried to just breathe once more through the taste of vomited gruel. She set her left, unbroken hand to the sands as she tried to stand and push herself away from the... monster she was fighting. She could hear the duchess had said something but not what... Then her leg was grabbed above the ankle before she was pulled. She yelped out loudly as she was spun around for a moment before Madadh swung her arm upwards and Anaya with her arm.

Her eyes were wide with fear and helplessness as she felt weightless for a long moment. As she straightened up in the air she saw a box right before her, sticking out of a wall. There she was; the smirking, cruel duchess, watching her suffering. A smoking pipe in one hand a glass of wine in the other hand. The woman drank in the sight of Anaya and her suffering, her fear and her powerlessness. And for it all she only gave Anaya a smirk.

And then Madadh pulled her down by the grip on her leg, slamming her down onto the sands back first as the air escaped her lungs again. The layer of sand was all that kept her skull from shattering on stone; but even so her head throbbed with pain. She knew... She knew it was hopeless... Try and win?

She couldn't even survive...

"Oh goddess..." Anaya let off, whimpering on the ground as Madadh stood over her body with feet on either side of her, shivering as realization hit her. "I'm going to die... I'm going to die..."

"No..." Madadh said softly. "No, you will not. I am... Sorry..." She said, shivering herself. "She does not wish you dead. She wants you broken. She wants you as a living example."

"Take one eye! Just one!" The voice of the duchess came, ringing clear. Anaya gasped and shook her head before a massive hand grabbed her by the hair.

"No... No, don't..." She begged as she was forcefully pulled to her feet. The other hand came to her face as Anaya struggled; clawing at the skin of the woman with her finger nails, punching her arm with an already broken hand as she kicked with a leg, barley able to make contact with the trunks the woman called legs. A thumb pressed to the inside of her left eye, right next to the nose. "No! No! Stop! Don't!" She said before the thumb pushed into her eye socket and under her blue eye before pulling back. The whole thing took little time but the pain was like iron needles jamming into her face that managed to be hot and cold at the same time. Her hair was let go as both hands covered her left eye as she screamed, legs kicking out to hit anything in defense. Her eyes were closed as her screams turned into a whimper, her eye opening in time to see something hit the sands.

Her own, disembodied eye was staring back at her as horror struck her as much as the giantess had. She dimly heard the duchess say something before the massive foot of the woman stepped on her eye, stomping it flat. It was possible to magically re-implant and repair an eye... As long as said eye was intact... Her eye being crushed without mercy meant it would be impossible to reset the eye into it's rightful place.

She whimpered more before Madadh walked over and kicked her roughly over onto her back before a heel slammed down onto her chest. She coughed out in pain and gasped out. She groaned, weakly kicking her feet out, unable to do much else. Madadh looked off to where Alundra Van Bludhood sat. She didn't know what was going on; her vision was blurry and half gone; literally half gone. Madadh looked back down and sighed before reaching down. Her foot moved off her beaten body before her hair was grabbed once more. She had been beaten and humiliated already followed by being mutilated. What else was in store for her? She had no idea... And it filled her with a new sense of dread.

Madadh grabbed her tunic and with her large hands tore it apart, ripping and tearing until it was fully off of her to the cheering and catcalls of the crowd. Her pants followed them into becoming tatters decorating the sands. She feared rape now (Despite being told it wouldn't happen she had no reason to trust the Damned Duchess) before Madadh lifted her upwards until she was horizontal to the ground over the titaness' head, both hand holding her up in the air. She was turned about, seeing the Duchess sneer at her as she held up her glass to Anaya, as if making a toast to her destruction. She was shown off and displayed before the crowd before the spinning stopped, facing the duchess once more. Then she was thrown upwards into the air.

There was a brief moment of hang-time where she was perfectly weightless, a split second where she was not moving up or down. It lasted for just that tiny piece of time but for her it seemed like minutes. Wasn't she going to be raped? Violated for the crowd's delight and pleasure? Forced to risk the chance of carrying child? Then it hit her.

No.

Rape while horrible and scarring to the mind could be recovered from with time, support and will. Pregnancy had an outcome that created something but there were places where one could leave a baby, let it grow without the burden of it's mother's rape.

No. That wouldn't be enough for the Damned Duchess... Not permanent enough, not damaging enough.

Madadh grabbed her by the shoulder and hip as she fell, adding her might to gravity's pull and forced her down faster as her knee rose up to meet the back of Anaya.

Her body bent a single degree more then it should have been able to. She could feel something crunch, then crack before finally shifting in her spine.

She screamed so loud and harsh her throat felt raw in seconds. She was still screaming as she was dropped with no ceremony to the ground, chest down as she quivered and only stopped screaming as numbness came to her lower half. Everything from the waist down was no longer really there to her mind; it was two lengths of pins and needles; having feeling in her legs yet not having feeling in them. A foot twitched but she couldn't command her legs to move. Madadh, the monster of a woman did as her mistress commanded as the flames ended and the stone ring sank down under the sands.

She broke her. Anaya sobbed as she realized what was planned for her from the start, openly crying in pain and humiliation.

"Behold!" The Damned Duchess stood before the crowd, standing at the edge of her VIP box, two men standing up and flanking her. From her one, remaining eye Anaya could only shiver and watch on as tears blurred her vision. "This is the fate of those who oppose us and our traditions! No mercy save just enough life to act as a reminder to all to see! Broken and battered the life of a half blind cripple is what awaits her! Guards, escort her from the Coliseum! She can find her own way home!" She smirked wider before giving out a loud, cruel laugh, the crowd of the Bloodstone joining in. A guard walked over to her as she sobbed still, glaring in helpless hate to the noblewoman before her hair was grabbed, this time in a gauntleted fist. She would be dragged away by the uncaring guard, across the sands and to the gate. The only thing her remaining eye could see was the sad monster watching her be dragged away.

She wasn't sure how far she was dragged but she was pulled outside of the arena before being pulled to the side of the front gate and dropped without care by the wall. Nude, crippled and helpless she could only shiver face down in the afternoon air.

As the sun made it's way across the sky people would come and go from the arena before a mass of people left. None deigned to rape her or even touch her, only stopping to laugh and make crude remarks, seeing her as beneath their lustful use. Peppered in were looks of sadness and pity but cruel sneers and biting remarks were the norm. Hours would drag on as she lay, the sun's motions casting the arena's shadow over her as it started to dip over the horizon. Soon she was alone, sobbing and shivering. The streets were lined with people who would look and point to her but not move closer. She would see the Duchess herself leave and give her one last sneer as she, two men and a large, armed escort left.

The sun vanished and the moon rose as she shivered, cold and alone on unforgiving stone.

Only when the streets were empty of eyes did two men come to her; a blanket in hand to cover her before whisking her away to a safer, warmer place.

Few who saw her in the arena would know the truth; that her story had not yet come to an end...

[ - Author's Note - ]

Well... That ending was dark, huh? I think I owe an explanation of this to everyone.

While the story has had some darker moments thus far one thing I felt I needed to do was establish how dark, depraved and cruel the slave states could really be. Another thing was I'm worried I haven't sold the slave states and their rulers as a credible threat. Arnold has been mostly just there and using him as an active villain right now doesn't really fit with what I'm doing at the moment and the only long term villain I've added (Mandeville) while hate-able is sidelined (Although more in regards to him is coming. Down the line). In addition I wanted to bring in other slave state leaders to paint a clearer picture of what they're like and how they interact.

This moment was meant to show what they will do to people fighting tyranny and injustice. And given this is being written as Putin's Russia is invading Ukraine (And as of this writing not doing a very good job of it) I think highlighting what tyrants will do to instill fear and control is more profound in these times.

It does also contrast with the first half of the story; a brighter world contrasted with a darker one.

And yes, I have plans to bring Anaya and Madadh back in down the line.

Anyway, comment and tell me what you thought. Too dark, not dark enough? Speak up and let me know.

Until next time.

~~Eostian Scribe