Chapter 3 – Meeting the Brotherhood
She groaned weakly as she was freed from the crate. The light was burning in her eyes, hurting as if she had alcohol sprayed in her eyes. She blinked a few times, allowing her eyes to adjust a little to the blinding light before she looked around, noticing the golden candle light glowing off the walls. She turned her head to see barrels and crates against the wall, yet none were marked as hers had been. Without a doubt she knew she was the only new slave, or at least the only one who had been transported this way. She didn't fight as she was pulled from the crate, she simply let her body relax and go limp. It was more effort for the guards but it was easier on her body. She knew after being contained for so long her legs would be stiff, and movement would be like the fires of Oblivion claiming her body from the toes up in a slow, creeping, forever lasting fire. She felt her toes drag along the ground as the guards walked her out, dragging her down the dark stone halls. The torches burning on the walls granted little light for her to see, but she was more focused on finding her feet.
"By Talos, this wench is heavy. I can only hope the wild beasts like her" The guard on her left groaned. The other laughed, a strained sound as he lifted her a little higher.
"Damn right. They are like wild beasts down there. I wonder how Braesa keeps them in line"
"By opening her legs and welcoming their cocks?" The first suggested.
"Don't let Braesa hear you say that. That bitch may be retired but she survived against some of the strongest Gladiators and pit fighters alike. She must have breasts of steel to survive a sword across the chest"
The men continued their banter as they dragged her through the halls. At first she was greeted by the smells of roasting meat and vegetables. The aroma of baking bread and the faint, misty white light coming through the windows suggested that it was early morning. As they continued the smells of the roasting meat and freshly baked bread haunted her nose but other smells drew her attention as well. Warm, wet hair, scented baths and perfume. She looked out of the corners of her eyes at this point, seeing well-dressed women standing with women in rags, and clothing that was obviously of lesser quality. On some she saw collars, or chains. She quickly came to the conclusion there were several slaves in this building, wherever it was that it was located. It was growing colder the deeper into the building she was dragged, so she could only conclude she was in Skyrim. She had heard so much about the land, that it was a wasteland of ice and only the strong, hot-blooded Nords could survive within. The smells changed from pleasant to terrible. Where she had smelt sweet flowers she now smelt sweat and muck. The aroma of shit became stronger and stronger as she was lead down stairs and through a courtyard, into one of the smelly outbuildings. It was there she was thrown to the ground. She grunted, her ears burning with the sounds of a door being closed and locked.
"Welcome to the estate of Caracia" the Redguard spoke. R'en stared up from the ground at the woman. She was aware she was shaking under the dark eyed gaze, she was aware of how her body trembled in this woman's presence. She got to her feet slowly, keeping her gaze on the Redguard's hands and midsection. She dared not to gaze at the woman's scarred face for fear it would encourage a beating. Once she was on her feet the Redguard began walking, expecting the DarkElf to follow.
"Here we train, fight, bleed and become champions of the Pits and Arenas around Tamriel. Our master, Barvo Caracia is not the high master of his family; he simply manages a small bunch of Gladiators. You are lucky enough to be considered part of his elite. Bathe in the glory. Cherish it. Nurse it. Fuck it. I don't care, so long as you understand what is expected of you" The woman paused before a door, turning to look at R'en. Braesa almost pitied the girl, knowing how the other fighters would see her. A Small, timid rabbit that had juicy legs. They would see her as someone to pick on, to fuck with or to even fuck full stop. She shook her head, turning her gaze back to the door she was about to push open.
"I am Braesa, and I am here to forge you into a Gladiator" she announced, and with that she pushed the door open.
The stench of unwashed men, sweat, shit and mud reached her nose. She instantly screwed her nose up, wishing she could ignore the smell. The Redguard seemed indifferent to her disgust as she pushed her forwards, bringing a knife up to her hair. In an instant the sign of R'en's former status was torn from her, cut right back to the scalp in a hairstyle that was short, even for a male. R'en didn't scream or whine, she simply continued walking into the belly of the beast. She was walking past a bowl of water when she froze, walking towards it to check her reflection. She should at least be presentable when she met whoever it was she was to be given too. She froze as she stared into the water, seeing a face she no longer recognised staring back at her with dim, defeated eyes.
Her face was a blunt triangle shape, if one followed the line to the tips of her pointed ears. With a pointed chin that lead up smoothly to her luscious lips, a fine, softly angled jawline that led to her delicate ears, she had the basics to be beautiful. Her nose was a cute button, small and childlike, it was the nose you would expect to see on a young woman, not on a slave who was beaten repeatedly. It was a wonder her nose had never been broken. Her large, sweet, blood red eyes caught the attention of many, such softness sitting under an angled brow. Scars ruined one side of her face, along her jawline from the corner of her mouth to her ear. Her hair was now short and hacked, as dark as midnight on a moonless night.
"Well tongue fuck my arse, we've had a whore come early" A strong, husky voice came from behind her. R'en squawked, leaping around in fright to see the men gathered around her. She heard the sound of the bowel crashing to the ground, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She could only stare at the large man who was as naked as the day he was born.
He was Imperial, which was clear by his tanned skin. He was like a sculpture carved by the Divines themselves, muscles shining as if they had gold pained on them as they caught the light. His chin was pointed, leading into a lower jaw and long, smooth cheeks void of all hair. He had high cheekbones, sitting under harsh eyes which in turn sat under a low, heavy brow. His lips were average, expected on many Imperials. His nose however caught attention. It was large, and the bridge had clearly been broken many a time and reset into perfect position. Its thickness added to his rugged look. A moustache sat over his upper lip, styled to be thin and intimidating. Many would say it went well with his dark, savage hair that fell to his shoulders.
"I'd sooner lick Braesa's" A second voice came in. It was a thick, Nordic accent filled with joy and amusement. The man stepped up behind the Imperial, placing a large hand over the man's shoulder.
The Nord was massive, a giant named as man. His muscles were not shining, and his paler skin took away from their intimidating effect, yet R'en could see he was very defined. He had a rather blunt appearance. A wide blunt chin leading up to a wide, blunt jaw and low cheekbones. His silvery blue eyes radiated kindness and merriment, much like his soft brow. Wrinkles marred his skin, although they were faint. It softened him further. He had a rather fatherly air about him, with white hair growing along his upper lip and jaw, and a fine layer of it on his head. It had clearly been shaved back by a dagger. His nose was large, broken countless times yet never deformed. Scars also ranged his face, and R'en felt an instant connection to the man. He was safe and warm, a friend amongst enemies.
"You have a thing for the old woman, Sven?" The Imperial taunted. The Nord behind him shook his head.
"No Valus. I just know her arse would taste better than the champion of the Pit Fighters. With all the shit stored in your head, I doubt your arse would be any emptier" The Nord, Sven, retorted with a grin. R'en could only watch the men gaze at each other for a moment before their grins matched. They both chuckled, with the large handed Nord slapping Valus on the back a few times. The fighters eventually turned their attention back to R'en, who felt very much like a rabbit under the gaze of wolves. She kept her eyes up, not because she wanted to challenge them but because she did not want them in their full glory. The men seemed completely at ease with one another, which scared her more than she knew it should. She had dealt with one rough man, and knew she could quite probably endure one at a time. She didn't know how to endure two.
"Leave her be. She doesn't look like a whore. She's a slave, and she's still covered in blood. She's a gladiator, Valus" Sven noted, looking over the girl for the first time. He could see it in her. He could see a beast that could not be tamed, hiding underneath the illusion of a rabbit. He had often said that if a killer beast were disguised as a rabbit Tamriel would be doomed. A killer that looked adorable, unthreatening, and maybe even weak was the perfect chance at power. The little woman cowered, her gore covered body quivering as Sven stepped closer. He placed his large hand on her shoulder, feeling her bones beneath the skin. R'en wanted to scream, to flee from these naked titans that were touching and judging her, but she didn't. Instead, she stood under the Nord's gaze, which had softened to something of an amused father instead of a judging Gladiator inspecting a common wench.
"Welcome to the Caracia Gladiators, my friend. You stand in the baths, one of the only female Gladiators to grace these walls. That's already an achievement lass, one you should be proud of" Sven said in a friendly tone, stepping up beside her and beginning to guide her towards a low wall of stone blocks. Steam rose from within the square, and she could make out the shimmery surface of water turned cloudy from heat. She watched the torchlight catch in the clouds of steam, soft golden patches hanging in the air. She looked around for a few moments, suddenly grounded and calm with Sven's heavy hand on her shoulder. Warmth embraced her battered bones under his palm, and she felt secure that he would defend her against any who would attack. His gesture was almost fatherly, instead of the threat she had originally perceived. The walls were also made of stone, with no windows to speak of. Torches hung high, casting shadows in the lowest regions of the room. She was so busy inspecting that she was unaware of the woman storming towards her until they collided. R'en squawked as she fell to the ground, her hindquarters aching from the impact. She shook her head, staring up at the woman who had knocked her.
She gazed up at a tall figure of an Orc woman with a strong upper body, a result of years of swinging heavy two-handed weapons. The woman was carved like a male, muscular beyond the usual feminine body, which was highlighted by pale green skin. Her face was squared, although it held elements of softness. Her small, angled eyes were the colour of steel and moonlight mixed into a stunningly soft whole, softened further by a discreet brow. It was a shock to inspect her harsh nose, which was pointed with high nostrils. Like most of her kind, her bottom jaw jutted out, with two bottom canine standing over her small, luscious lips like mountains. R'en could only quake as she inspected the woman's bald head, save the ponytail and a stripe running along the crown of her head.
"You could have gone around me!" R'en stated, pouting up at the Orc. The room suddenly went silent, and the other bodies she had ignored suddenly seemed to cave in on her. The silence was deafening, maddening and unsettling all at once. Not even Sven stood up as the Orc glared down at her, crossing her massive arms over her chest as if she could deflect the very knowledge of R'en's existence with the gesture. Nobody dared speak as the Orc stared down at the Elf, expression utterly furious. R'en swallowed nervously, trying to still her shaking limbs as well as ignore the chains she was still bound by. The Orc seemed to take silent note of the chains for a few moments before she bent down, grabbing the chains and lifting with a single arm. R'en grunted as the Orc pulled the chains to her chest, putting her face directly in R'en's. The smell of the Orc's breath was not altogether unpleasant, yet R'en winced as it touched her face. It was a threat, a huff of breath instead of calm breathing.
"She's fucked" R'en heard Sven whisper. Valus simply shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the scene unfold. Suddenly R'en was afraid for her life, which she had never held much value for. She lowered her gaze to the Orc's smooth cheeks, hoping she wouldn't appear as if she were insulting the larger woman.
"You should watch where you are going, Maggot! I would carve through you in the Arena, when that day comes. For now wash your scrawny little body and quake in the presence of Sharl Gra-Muzga, The Demon of the pits!" the female Orc bellowed. R'en closed her eyes as droplets of spittle hit her face, a warm shower that she had not desired. The Orc let her chains go with a violent jolt of her hands, and with another yelp R'en found herself back on her hind quarters. The Orc glared around the room for a few moments before she stormed back the way she came, pausing to grab a wet rag from the baths edge. Sven and Valus instantly walked to R'en's side, picking her up without a second thought.
"You're lucky she didn't try to kill you" Valus stated simply.
"Ever since they bred her to the Champion of the Imperial City Arena in Cyrodiil she has done nothing but attack everyone. She definitely has problems. Its best you avoid her until you are officially welcomed into the family, bathed in blood from the Arena. Sharl enjoys killing too much, and that's coming from a Gladiator of over twenty years" Sven added. R'en gazed after the back of the Orc, curiosity raging in her veins despite the overwhelming fear. Valus shook his head, pinning his serious gaze on R'en as he spoke.
"That is a tale for another day. For now, rabbit, welcome to your grave"
AN: Third Chapter up. If anyone is reading to here please rate and review. I really would love all the advice and opinions I could get.