Jessi: I think I need to move the story on a bit... I have been concentrating on Chel being tortured for a while.
The lizardman army was driven on towards their destination. Whenever they went they dealt death and destruction.
Chel could hear it all from the confines of the Dark Lady's carriage. He could smell the blood. He could smell the smoke from torched buildings. The fingers of his unbroken hand dug themselves into the material of the robe he'd been given.
It was made of a thin, grey material but at least it covered his nakedness. There were, of course, more important issues that being naked at the moment, but... He'd felt more depressed than ever since being tricked into sleeping with the Dark Lady. He felt dirty. He felt like...
"You are not a slut," he whispered under his breath, but his heart was not in it. Slowly over the past few days he had come to realise just how much he had depended on Vale's innocence and kind heart. He held these memories of her closest of all.
He was not sure how long he had slept, he only knew that he was still tired, both mentally and physically, when a lizardman roughly dragged him to his feet. With that same amount of care Chel was shoved out of the carriage and it was only after staggering a few paces that he was able to stand up straight.
The Dark Lady stood in the middle of a circle of lizardmen and for a moment Chel wondered if he was expected to sleep with her in front of them. Behind her was a line of five lizardmen, all larger than average and with ropes of trophies as thick as Chel's waist. Tribal markings were painted on with what smelt like blood... fresh blood by its crimson colour. They were not wearing their armour and their only weapons were their claws, their teeth and a sheathed dagger.
"Tonight I have a little entertainment planned," the Dark Lady spoke not only to him but the entire assembly, "These five warriors, who have distinguished themselves by sacrificing the most innocents to my glory, will have a little challenge."
As she turned to look at the crowd Chel clenched his fists. Sacrifice? She dared put herself on level with the deities?
"Of course, I do not expect my warriors to have much trouble from the target. But for this prize," she lifted her hands. Strung in between them was a thick golden chain, studded with massive rubies, "the... competition will be fierce," she gestered and the pale elf was dragged forward, "Your task will be to capture this elf after a headstart, of course."
She looked at him,
"Your time begins now."
With that Chel darted in the nearby forest, as fast as his battered body would allow.
As the pale elf moved amoungst the trees he felt his heart pounding. They had given him this chance to escape! They let him go!
Far off in the distance his keen ears picked up the sounds of roars. The lizardmen were coming.
Without the collar on his neck he could have easily slain every lizardman in that army. Power that no one on this world had ever witnessed ran through his veins, only waiting for his command. But the collar lay there, a parasite sapping the magic from his body.
To the side he heard roars of anger and... pain? Changing his direction the elf, keeping close to cover, came towards those sounds.
On the ground a lizardman lay dead already, two others were fighting, their claws racking huge wounds in their opponent's hides, their teeth bared.
Something made Chel look up. There embedded in the wood of the tree was a dagger.