Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I am glad that you liked the last chapter and I hope that you like this one as well. This one will be on the slow side, the blood and guts will pick up in the chapter after this. As always I own nothing.
After the fight they were disarmed and returned to their prison where the priestess was waiting to see to their injuries. Shortly after their return more slaves entered the room. Unlike before they did not have food for them, rather they brought tubs of hot water and bars of soap. Following the slaves was a guard, from his armor Karl guessed that he was an officer of some sort. He looked at them for a moment, his lips curled in a sneer.
"You all stink." The voice might have been considered almost musical except that it had a roughness to it, as if worn from years of cruelty. "Your master, Lord Bonesnake, is hosting a party and he wants to show off his pets to his guests. So wash and make yourselves presentable." With that he turned and left. The slaves put the tubs down in front of the gladiators and handed them the soap. Feeling strangely shy he slid out of his cloths and began to scrub himself.
Glancing around he saw that the others were washing themselves and did not seem to be the least bit modest about it. They did not seem immodest rather they seemed apathetic about the whole affair. He suddenly saw that the slaves were taking their cloths away. Before he could ask where they taking them Yuviel was beside him. As always she did not seem to be bothered by her lack of clothing. Smiling at him she dunked her soap in the water and began rubbing it on Karl's chest. Karl flinched at her touch but he let her keep doing it. He then reached out with his own soap and began rubbing it on her back, she gave a happy sound as she arched her back and pressed herself against him.
"See," she whispered in his ear; "I am much more fun than an old man and a gloomy boy." Karl opened his mouth to respond she reached up and plucked a piece of hydra flesh that had been stuck between his teeth. She grinned at him as she plopped it into her mouth and swallowed, causing Karl to shudder slightly which only made her laugh again. "You are very squeamish for a god-touched." Karl growled in anger which she seemed to like; with an effort Karl reminded himself that they needed the woman and he could not say anything that might upset her so he held his peace. "Still you are from the soft South so I suppose you would not know how to act like one. Regardless, you are a god-touched and not unattractive." As she spoke she reached up to kiss him again.
Shortly afterwards the slaves returned accompanies by a number of guards. Under the watchful eyes of the guards the slaves removed Karl's and the others collars and then began rubbing them all down with oil, making their skin glisten. In place of their usual clothing they were given strips of colored silks that barely covered anything. To replace their collars they were given golden ones and Yuviel was given a long string of pearls to wrap around her hair. Though it all looked wealthy and flashy but Karl could not shake the memory of prize farm animals being dressed up for the fair. Also, when the collar was placed on his neck he felt a tingling and he suddenly felt far weaker and with a start he found he could no longer feel the wolf. Looking down at the collar he saw a glowing rune on the front of it.
They were led under guard to the entrance of the main palace. They were led to a large hall where a number of raised pillars with poles on either side of them they were all taken to five of these and made to stand on them, there were gold chains attached to the poles and these were attached to their wrists and ankles making them stand spread eagle. As they stood there other slaves, mostly human were brought in and chained to the other posts.
Soon afterwards the room began to fill with Dark Elves, all richly dressed and bejeweled, among them were the lord and lady from the private box that Karl had seen during his first fight. From somewhere music was playing and slaves passed among the guests with food and wine and throughout the hall were burners from which sickly sweet smoke poured forth to fill the room. Karl was not sure what kind of entertainment would be a human noble's party but he was sure it would not be the kind that was being had here.
Perhaps to reflect their value Lord Bonesnake had placed guards with cloth wrapped around their faces which seemed to protect them from the smoke with each of the gladiators. From time to time guests would come up and inspect them. They looked them up and down as if they were animals being inspected and make comments about them that Karl could not understand but made him flush at their stares and cruel laughter. Many reached up and felt their muscles and even pulled their lips back to inspect their teeth, that was all they did however, the other slaves were not so fortunate. They, it seemed, were to be the main entertainment of the evening.
Screams were soon echoing throughout the hall accompanied by cruel laughter. Guests, accompanied by slaves carrying tools of torture, were circulating the room and inflicting whatever cruelties took their fancy. Some were being raped by the guests and these might be considered the fortunate ones, most of the Dark Elves present seemed to have more sadistic impulses which only seemed to get worse the more the wine flowed and the more of the smoke they inhaled.
To one side a female Dark Elf laughed dreamily as she sliced the ears off of an elf whose chest was covered with swirling tattoos. Farther on a human man's back was flogged to shreds while two Dark Elves coupled as the blood splattered onto them. To the other side a woman was literally cut to pieces by a trio of laughing elves and there were other such acts going on that he could not see but could hear. Karl could not tell if it was better or worse but the victims' cries of pain were mixed with cries of ecstasy. The smoke was effecting Karl as well. It made his head spin and he felt sensations that he could not control flood his body. He wanted to run, to fight, to rip, to tear and kill. The smoke, it was inflaming his basest impulses and suppressing his control. He stared at what was going on around him, part of him was repelled but part of him wanted to join in.
Karl did not know how long it went on but at last all of the guest either left or had succumbed and were lying passed out on the floor. The masked guards unlocked them. The smoke had weakened Karl and the others almost as much as it had the guests so slaves had to help them back to their prison and their silk garments were removed. The gold collars were removed and Karl felt the wolf howling back into his mind, though the drugs still dampened it. As he lay slumped on the ground he rolled his head groggily about to look at the others.
Sir Coty and Wilfred had succumbed to the drugs and were out cold. Agliar was clearly affected by the drugs as well but was struggling to force the affects away. Of all of them the Dwarf seemed the least affected of them all. He sat alone and his eyes seemed to be free of the effects of the drugs. Though he had been guarded as well Karl saw blood seeping from his clenched fist. There was a look on his face that Karl's drug-addled mind could not place at first, it was a smile but not like those on the faces of everyone else.
His thoughts were interrupted when something struck him. Yuviel had somehow gotten to her feet and had stumbled over onto him and landed on top of him. Her eyes were glazed over and had a wild look to them. She slid her legs to straddle his chest. Without saying a word she shot her head forward to bite into his shoulder. Pain shot through his shoulder but thanks to the drug it felt good to in a strange way and his yelp was not entirely of pain. Almost as if his body was acting on its own volition he leaned up and kissed her, tasting his own blood on his mouth.
He ran his hand over her head, finding the smoothness of her head strangely pleasant, till he found her hair. As before he pulled it back. She gasped in delight and racked her nails across his chest leaving lines of blood. She jerked her head free and licked at his blood and then watched as his skin regenerated. As their lips locked again a small part of Karl's mind finally made sense of the Dwarf's smile. It had been a smile of triumph.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone, a little short I know but trust me it was significant. I was going for an orgy of booze, drugs, sex and torture. You, know a typical Dark Elf Tuesday night. Alright next time breakout! I will try to have it later this week. Till then please pray for the Americans held abroad and all who need it. Bye and may Jesus bless you.