Sorry for the gap in an update!
Mul stood behind the grate, both hands on her warhammer. The wind blew, causing the Orc's dark locks to fly absently around her face. She was staring straight ahead, towards a figure standing behind the opposite gate.
It was a Bosmer girl, tiny in appearance, with brown hair cut short, making her look like a boy. Judging by her size, Mul could throw the girl a meter with ease. Yet the girl's expression was one of grim determination. A bow was in one hand, with an arrow nocked. Both were standing with complete confidence. The crowd was silent as the announcer's voice rang out across the Arena.
"Welcome, people of the Imperial City, to the Arena!"
Mul's grip tightened on her warhammer. The Bosmer didn't move. Both were breathing deeply, preparing for the pain to come. Adrenaline was flowing quickly through their bloodstreams. Both had their eyes fixed on each other.
"Today, we have the yellow team's Gladiator-"
Both breathed more heavily as the crowd cheered wildly for the orc.
"-and the blue team's Gladiator-"
Nobody cheered for the tiny Bosmer. But the elf didn't even hear, her whole senses focused on the world around her. It was a strategy unique to the Bosmer, giving her advantages even when up against impossible odds.
"-facing off in a battle to the death! Does the Bosmer have any hope against the Orc's strength?"
It started to rain again. After several weeks of almost nonstop rain, the terrain of the Arena was equal to sludge. And Mul was weighed down with all her heavy armor...
The crowd was cheering and screaming and waving their arms in appreciation. The muscles of the two tensed up, and their feet were ready to spring into action.
"Let's find out!"
The gates were lowered and the two sprang into action. The Bosmer let her arrow fly. Mul rolled out of the way, but found that she was sinking into the mud. She was ankle deep already, and the Bosmer had another arrow ready.
Pulling herself up and out of the mud, she ducked out of the way as the second arrow grazed her shoulder. The orc stampeded forward, ready to swing her giant warhammer...
The Bosmer let another arrow fly faster than the orc predicted. With a twang of the bowstring, the arrow flew deep in between the orc's neck and shoulder. Letting out a cry of pain, her swing was weak, but strong enough to knock the Bosmer sideways as it collided with her ribcage. Blood flew as the Bosmer looked down, seeing a rib sticking out of her side. Mul was bleeding badly. Despite this, the two kept on fighting as the crowd roared.
The Bosmer used three arrows instead of one this time. The crowd screamed in excitement as she pulled back the bowstring. All three flew into Mul's chest, and she faltered. Her opponent took advantage of this, dropping her bow and leaping forward with a dagger in her hand.
Mul wouldn't give up that easily. She used her fist to punch the Bosmer square in the face. Blood was now all over the two, along with a large amount of mud. With a broken nose, the Bosmer let out a yelp of pain as the orc started beating her with two large fists.
The wood elf kept on fighting, though. Stabbing the dagger anywhere she could reach, into the orc's arms, into the orc's shoulders. Mul was growing weaker as orc blood flowed over her skin, the Bosmer fighting like a tiger despite her numerous bruises and broken rib.
With a final roar, the Orc managed to grab the Bosmer and fling her across the ground. With a sickening crack the elf fell into the mud. But still the little mer didn't give up. Reaching for her bow, which was only a foot away, she strung an arrow, mumbling something that sounded like "strike true" before letting the arrow fly. Mul was too weak to dodge, and the arrow lodged itself in her throat, pinning the sides of the Orc's esophagus together and slowly causing her to suffocate.
The crowd went crazy as the Bosmer crawled out of the mud, shakily standing up and limping towards the exit. She entered the Bloodworks before the announcer had time to finish shouting "We have a winner!".
And as the girl got to the Fountain of Renewal, she collapsed in an exhausted heap. The last thing she heard were shouts and footsteps as her world went black.