A Fight for Freedom

(The Real World)

After about a few more minutes of cheering, everyone had finally calmed down and got back into their seats. Meanwhile, Lynn Jr. was still glowing over her earlier show of warrior-like bravado. True, there were plenty of times where she acted boastful before but that was on the sports field; this was a board game.

"Could Linc be right...am I actually starting to like this nerdfest" she pondered mentally, "no, it must be my inner jock kicking in again...yeah, that's it." After shaking out these thoughts from her head, Lynn took her seat again and asked where they were going next. Sadly, just as her parents were about to reply, Mrs. Bernardo entered the room; making her usual rounds of announcing the time.

Of course, the first thing she did beforehand was sound off her fanfare trumpet in a rather loud and off-key manner. "The hour is now 8:45 in the PM" she proclaimed, "repeating...the time is now 8:45 in the PM!" The crowd of players groaned loudly at this announcement, one half for the fact that it would soon be time to leave and the other for the fact that Mrs. B chose to blow her horn so loudly.

Lynn seemed to be the most upset about this, due to the campaign ending just before her character was about to shine in the arena. "I was looking forward to the fight too" Lucy grumbled, "I had a plan to draw hex circles on the sand of the arena floor too..." Before the young Goth had the chance to finish her statement, the Council quickly stopped her; insisting that she keep her plans on the downlow.

"What's the big deal, you guys" questioned Lori indignantly, "we're all literally going to hear these plans during the next round of the campaign." The Game Masters all nodded silently in understanding and then, Albert retorted in saying that while Lori spoke the truth; openly announcing one's strategy before a new session could/would allow other players to think of ways to counter them. "It'd be like if Lynn spoke about game stats for her team at Gus' while members of her opposing team are seated two tables away" Clyde explained, "such a mistake could be costly."

Not only was Lynn herself surprised by this but so were many other players surrounding her. In that moment, they couldn't decide which surprised them more; what Clyde said or the fact it was him that said it all. "Good point there, McBride" she said with a pleased smirk, "that means you best keep your ideas locked away, Lucy...don't want Big Sis to whoop ya in the arena too soon, would ya?"

Lucy offered no verbal response, choosing only to lightly shrug her shoulders instead. After that, the Council dismissed the game for the night and wished everyone safe travels homeward. But as they made their way towards the gate, Lori's group couldn't stop themselves from feeling anxious.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy" Lana murmured excitedly, "I can't wait until the next session...which one of us do you think has the best chances of beating Lynn?" As if on cue, Lola chortled softly like an upper-class girl and claimed she may have the better chance due to her character's Agility points. This prompted Lucy to butt in, adding her own claim that while Lola may have a speed/advantage; she wasn't the strongest within the Party.

"OH! And just who else dominates that field, hmm" the wee lass retorted, "it can't be Luan, Bards aren't brawlers!" Upon hearing her sister talk smack about Mituna's abilities, Luan soon found herself swept into the debate. This left Lori as the only "sane" one left among them and she chose to hide her face beneath her hood while speed-walking towards her car.

She quickly threw open the door, climbed inside and sat herself down; ready to drive as far away from the "den of dorkdom" as possible. But before she could turn on the ignition, she suddenly heard her phone going off inside her pocket; as evident by the vibration setting. With a yelp, Lori reached inside and took out the phone; seeing that it was Bobby trying to call her.

"Okay, maybe a brief chat with my boyfriend can bring me back to sanity" she murmured, "just as long as he isn't dressed like an elf again. With this thought in mind, she answered the call and Bobby's face soon appeared on the screen. The two greeted each other in the usual manner with the exchanges of pet names, air kisses and sappy baby talk; as per usual.

But then, things would soon go from sweet to awkward in a matter of seconds (mostly for Lori, though.)

(Line Break)

"Hey, babe; thanks for answering" Bobby said sweetly on the other line, "did I catch you at a bad time or something?" Lori shook her head vigorously and assured her lover that she was just about to head for home when he called. It was here that Bobby pointed out to Lori that she was still wearing her cloak and elf ears, which was all he needed to figure out what she was up to.

"Please...don't remind me, Boo-Boo Bear" Lori groaned, "the more time I spent in there, the more I could feel the cold chills of my Awkward Stages of youth creeping back up." It didn't take long for Bobby to figure out what she was referring to, but he insisted that there was nothing to worry about. Of course, Lori responded to this in saying that he had only played in their campaign for two rounds; which to her didn't feel quite that long of an exposure period.

"That's true, babe; I may not have been playing as long as you guys yet" he stated, "but that doesn't mean I haven't played outside of your campaign." With this statement, Bobby revealed that he had been playing D&D up in Great Lakes City long before he joined in with the others at the "Palace of Avalonis." This, of course left Lori feeling quite flabbergasted, and she practically begged for Bobby to explain himself further.

"Not only have I played some rounds with a few kids at Chavez Academy, some of the people in my building have played D&D too" he announced, "including my extended family." When asked who among the Casagrandes Familia were fellow "Dungeon Crawlers" outside of Ronnie Anne, Bobby proudly announced Carlota's name as one of them. At first, she only watched from the sidelines while CJ played but when she saw the costumes; the bait had been cast and Carlota was reeled in.

"My Abuela, Tio Carlos and Tia Frida have played too" Bobby stated, "well...Abuela mostly provided snacks for everyone between rounds but she took a few turns at it, sometimes." For what felt like ages, Lori remained frozen still in her seat; a look of pure shock plastered on her face. Yet again, she learned that more people she knew had found themselves drawn into the "dorkness" of this game.

Sure, of all people, Bobby playing D&D made some sense but only because he was like a kid at heart. Ronnie Anne, meanwhile was a bit of a shock due to how cool she often chose to present herself. But when it was revealed that she was also a fan of the game, Lori's worldview cracked even more. Yet it made some sense that Ronnie Anne enjoyed the game because she was a pre-teen (or a "kid" in her eyes) and she didn't quite "know any better" yet.

Now, it seemed like everybody she ever knew in life was a player in this "sick and twisted" game and there didn't seem to be an escape from it. All of this suddenly caused Lori to have a wee bit of a panic attack and Bobby was quick to notice on the phone. "Whoa! Whoa! Easy there, babe...easy" he murmured soothingly, "just take a deep breath and let out all the bad vibes...just like Miss Rain taught you."

The first few breaths Lori took were rather erratic at the start. But after a while, they flowed out much more calmly before she let out one final relaxed exhale. Once finished, Lori's expression appeared more pleasant; which seemed to please Bobby. "Sorry about that, Boo-Boo Bear" she confessed with a light blush of shame, "I just...I still can't believe my sisters and I got ourselves roped up into this whole game in the first place."

At first, Bobby was prepared to remind Lori that she was the one who coerced her sisters to tail her brother from the start. But after taking note of her current emotional state, he held his tongue on the matter. "Just...don't fret on it so much, babe" he urged kindly, "you gotta admit; during the last session, you guys must've had some fun."

For a brief moment, Lori didn't answer him due to her own brain currently asking the same question. Once again; her brain, her pride and what might've been her inner child seemed to be locked in a duel over the poor girl's sanity. On one side, she still wanted to cling onto her petty vendetta against the game.

But on the other, Lori could practically hear her inner child screaming for her to get over herself and just have fun. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of silence, Bobby decided not to pester his GF any further about the game. "We won't be playin' again until the weekend" he assured, "which means we can do anything else before that."

This bit of news seemed to do just the trick in helping Lori "ease her spirits" and she happily thanked him for that. Then, after they shared a quick farewell (complete with kissy faces,) both teens hung up their phones. But just as she was about to put hers away, Lori heard several voices clearing their throats in unison.

With a yelp, she glanced slightly over her shoulder and saw her siblings standing behind her; arms crossed and their faces wearing a "are we interrupting something" kind of expression. "What gives, Lor" inquired Lincoln, "we just finished packing up our things inside and we come out to find you standing in the walkway for almost a half hour." Upon hearing this, Lori found herself blushing even harder with shame.

With an awkward chuckle, she confessed that her call with Bobby must've gone on longer than she realized. "We suspected your Elvish love may have captured your interests, milady" said Rita as she passed the children, "how goes it with him in the city?" Admittedly, it took Lori a short while to mentally translate what her mother just said.

When it all finally clicked, she put on her best smile and said he was "doing fine." "Excellent news! I look forward to the day he rejoins our campaign" Lynn Sr said while speaking in his posh accent, "in the meanwhile; let us away for home, young ones." In response, every one of the Loud Siblings sounded off in agreement with their father; even Lily (who let out a traditional wolf's howl as a response.)

While this was all in good fun initially, all it seemed to do was make Lori's anxiety levels spike even higher. She only hoped that the week ahead would be normal enough for her to give her brain a break.

(Line Break)

Three days passed since everyone's last campaign run at the "castle" and things seemed to be relatively normal for the Louds (or at least, their kind of normal.) Then, when Thursday rolled around, things started to take a strange turn. Firstly, while Lori began her turn of Trash Pick-Up for that week, she was passing by Lynn and Lucy's shared bedroom when she saw pieces of paper lying on the floor.

With a grumble, she walked over and started picking them up when she noticed some odd writing on one of the pieces. At first, it mostly looked like chicken scratch handwriting...but it was mostly due to the fact the crumpled paper altered it. When Lori unfolded one page, she discovered it was a series of spell incantations and instructions on how to use them.

"Okay, this has to be the weirdest thing I've seen in Lucy's room" she thought with a raised eyebrow, "and that's literally saying a lot." Her curiosity buzzing, she picked up a paper wad she had in her trash bag and opened that one next. It was another set of spell ideas and what looked like a crow or a raven drawing next to them.

"Hold on...Lana's the animal type in the house" Lori murmured, "why would Lucy be drawing birds on her notepapers?" Mere seconds passed after she said all of this out loud and then, it all became clear to Lori. The birds on the paper weren't random, they were sketches of her D&D character; Shadow.

What was even stranger was the fact that the sketches looked like they were smiling (albeit in a cartoonish way.) "Okay, I take back what I said earlier" Lori exclaimed, "this is the strangest thing I've seen Lucy do!" Desperate to learn more, Lori searched every inch of the room for her Gothic sister but found no sign of her.

That's when she saw the coffin on Lucy's side of the room. Sure, at first glance, nothing seemed...too out of the ordinary about that (in the family's eyes.) But Lori also noticed that the lid had been closed shut, which meant she must've been inside of it for some "Private Time." Eager for answers, Lori rests her knuckles atop the coffin's lid and lightly taps it...but there's no response from inside.

She knocks on it again, this time much harder, and there's still no answer. As Lori prepares to knock for a third time, the lid flies open and Lucy suddenly pops out from inside the coffin like some sort of creepy Jack-in-the-Box; thus spooking Lori. "Could you not knock on my coffin lid so loudly" Lucy said with slight venom in her monotone, "I was in the middle of something!"

Lori was mere moments away from making a sort of snappy comeback to her sister's words when she happened to take a glance inside the coffin. There, she found more pieces of paper; some crumpled up and others only halfway finished. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Lori demanded to know what Lucy was doing with so much paper.

"Part of me feels like I should make a sort of snappy comeback, like 'none of your business'" Lucy murmured, "but seeing as we're on the same team of sorts...these papers are plans I've been thinking up." Feeling even more confused, Lori asked what these supposed "plans" were all for. In response, Lucy briefly explained that she had been thinking up ways to best Lynn in the arena on Friday...but none of her ideas seemed to work.

The moment this was revealed, of course; Lori felt as though a large safe had fallen and crashed on her head. Just when she thought she was out of that "nerd stuff," it found its way back into her life again; this time in her own home. With a yelp, Lori threw down the trash back and raced down the stairs before slipping down the final four steps.

This resulted in her unceremoniously falling down face-first onto the floor...or at least, that's what would've happened. When Lori opened her eyes, she expected to see the colors of the throw rug at the bottom of the steps. Instead, she landed on what looked like a small bundle of pillows; each one handstitched and given a different but unique design.

As Lori slowly sat up, she heard footfalls approaching her from the living room. She turned slightly and saw Leni coming towards her with a worried look on her face. "LORI! OM Gosh, are you alright" she cried, "you didn't break anything, did you?" With a soft smile, the eldest Loud Sister assured Leni that she was fine but questioned where all the pillows came from.

That's when she heard her mother call out from the dining room, saying that they were all made by her and Leni. "We got the ideas from illustrations inside some of the D&D game manuals" chirped the young fashionista, "I tried to bring them into the living room...but I dropped a few." Once again, Lori was left utterly flabbergasted; unable to think or say anything.

Part of the reason was the fact she felt so comfy on the pile of pillows beneath her. But on the other hand, she couldn't shake off the feeling of exasperation swirling around within her. Once again, D&D had managed to worm its way into her life; this time in her own home!

But she couldn't speak out too harshly against it due to the "sacred bylaws" she was coerced into following, specifically the rule prohibiting players like her from allowing any personal issues from the game affect her life (or outside issues affect her gameplay.) "Wait a second...hold that thought" Lori said mentally, "nobody could bust me if I voiced any complaints about the game to any Game Master outside of the 'castle,' right?" With this in mind, she pushed herself up from the pile of pillows and went off to find one of her parents; hoping that they might work out a sort of "compromise" to her situation.

(Line Break)

"Absolutely not, young lady" Lynn Sr. said firmly, "you and your sisters all agreed to stick with the game until the very end and we're not even at the midway point of the campaign yet!" Although earlier on, Lori had already suspected her parents might disagree with her wish to withdraw from the game; that didn't stop her from trying. Thus, here she finds herself on the receiving end of a lecture from her father...something she experienced many times over, in the past.

Yet in spite of the situation, Lori still refused to relent and insisted that she would be allowed to leave. "Honey...why are you still being so stubborn" Rita inquired sympathetically, "all your friends and half your siblings are enjoying themselves." Just as she did at the very start of her whole "ordeal," Lori insisted that someone like her didn't belong among nerds.

But when her parents happened to ask exactly what type of person she saw herself as, Lori hesitated; as if at a loss for words. It was here that Lynn Sr. was attempting to piece together what his daughter was trying to say. "I mean no disrespect when I say this, Lori-Loo" he said while using Lori's pet name in a mildly endearing tone, "but...it seems as though your teenage pride is what's keeping you from enjoying the fun like the rest of us."

Rita nodded slightly in agreement and added that back in her younger years, she had seen teens/young adults like Lori sneer at their game as well; some doing so over pettier reasons. "The point your father and I are trying to make, honey is...punishment or no, you and your sisters agreed to play to the very end" she said firmly, "just...don't worry so much and cut loose a little."

Although Lori wanted nothing more than to continue the discussion, she had little ammunition to use in her favor. Yes, her parents spoke the truth in suggesting it was her pride getting in her way. But in her mind, she simply couldn't help herself. For eighteen years, Lori prided herself as being the "most mature" among her siblings...but she soon realized the irony of her words.

It wasn't too long ago where her own teenage pride not only got in the way of other things in life, it also almost brought her close to losing it all. Of course, the last time this happened; it was over something even sillier...namely a golf game. Now, Lori found herself in a situation where her pride was keeping her from actually having fun with her loved ones.

Still, at the moment, her pride was too great to dismiss but not so much that Lori would risk defying her parents. So, she finally relented and agreed to continue playing the game. "Make no mistake, though" Lori decreed, "one way or another, I will find a way to get out of it...so long as it's not against your rules."

For a brief moment, the Loud Parents were prepared to challenge their daughter on her vow. But then, they realized this was about as close as they could get to a compromise with her and nodded in silent agreement.

(Line Break)

In time, the weekend had finally arrived and everyone reassembled at the "castle" for the next round of their game. As Lori took her seat beside her group of five, she turned slightly to her right to find Lynn marching towards her seat. Once more, she was dressed in her costume and had got herself into the proper mind-space earlier.

This time, however; she came armed with what looked like a spear. "Hold on a minute" Lori interjected suddenly, "I don't recall us getting permission to literally bring weapons to the game table!" Upon hearing her say this, Lynn let out a boisterous laugh (much like her character) and assured her sister the weapon was merely a toy.

"She's right, Sis; everybody's allowed to bring wooden replicas of our characters' weapons" Lincoln stated, "just like you with your staff." Upon letting all of this information sink in, Lori swiftly realized what she said and blushed profusely with embarrassment. Although everyone else saw it as a minor lapse in memory, she herself hoped this "breach of the rules" as Lori called it would bring a halt to the game; possibly ending it abruptly.

Regardless, everyone had a little lark at this until the Council of Game Masters finally arrived. The moment they took their seats, Principal Huggins (while assuming his role as Fastred) asked if there was any new or old business to attend to before starting.) "Actually, yes...I have one bit of new business to share" Sam exclaimed, "earlier this week, I coerced/convinced my bandmates within the Moon Goats to record our rendition of Maw of the King from a few seconds back."

Their curiosities piqued, many players questioned if she or any other of the Moon Goats chose to upload the video online yet. "Indeed, we have" decreed Ruth proudly, "the number of praises for our music were insurmountable...while those shared in regards towards our fair duet were equally splendiferous!" It didn't take long for Lori to deduce that the rocker turned bard was referring to Sam and Luna and yet, she was still very much surprised.

She didn't recall any mention from her sister regarding this all week. Then again, Lori herself spent much of said week trying to weasel her way out of the game. Thus, it was no real surprise as to why this news baffled her.

After that, Flip called out from his little cart over at the dining area; announcing he had some "new olde timey treats" to share. "We got yer classics like the chicken and turkey legs, yer soups n' stews and all that" he stated, "but lemme show ya what I got here for tonight." With that, he opened a small door on his cart and brought out a serving tray filled with...nachos and a bowl of dipping sauce.

It seemed rather simple and harmless enough, at first but because this concoction was made by Flip; everyone chose to approach with caution. "Now, then...what we got here is a platter of classic nachos from my station" said the grifter, "but instead of the usual nacho cheese, I offer youse guys some homemade Scorpion Sauce." Naturally, the first reaction some players had to this reveal was revulsion, but many felt it for different reasons.

In the case of Lori and her small group, it was the word "scorpion" that left them feeling disgusted. What was worse, Flip chose to announce this in front of dozens of people in a room with some of the loudest acoustic space you'd ever known. Of course, the first to break the ice on this issue was Lana; who wasted no time in asking if actual scorpions were used in the sauce.

"WHAT?! No...of course not, dear" Mrs. Johnson assured, "the 'scorpion' title merely refers to the Scorpion Peppers used as the main ingredient for the sauce." While this reveal sounded reassuring on the surface; underneath it all, it still carried a grim aura of dread. Scorpion Peppers were known to be pretty ding-dang hot and the thought of it being in dipping sauce just made it worse.

But much to her surprise, Lori saw scores of players around her practically gorging themselves in the stuff; even among her siblings. "WOOO! That sauce's got some zing to it" Lynn Sr. said while fanning his tongue, "but I like it!" Soon after, Lori could hear some of her sisters making similar declarations of delight...at least, those who were "mad enough" to eat the Scorpion Sauce.

Lynn Jr. was the first who dared to taste it, proclaiming her "Iron Gut" could handle the sauce. However, as she scooped some up with her nacho and eased it up to her lips, her nostrils flared painfully at the smell of the Scorpion Pepper mixture. As a result, she suddenly started coughing loudly; as if something had wedged itself deep within her sinuses.

"Aw, c'mon! Don't be like that, Lynn" urged Margo, "the sauce tastes better than it smells." After she had finally calmed down and given her nose a good blow with a tissue, Lynn made another attempt to sample the Scorpion Sauce. When she finally tasted it, the young jock did feel a bit of a tingle in her mouth but it still tasted great.

"Okay, everyone; eat your fill of snacks" Rita announced, "because we've got a big session to do today and I don't want anything to distract us." Upon hearing this, Leni raised her hand up and asked if anyone were allowed to take bathroom breaks during the oncoming session; to which the Game Masters replied with a resounding "yes, of course." With that settled, everyone got back in their seats and readied themselves for the battle to come within the gladiator arena in Arnost

(The Game World)

After a rather fruitless night of sleep, the Party was suddenly roused awake by the sound of metal clattering against metal. Each one either shot upright with a yelp or fell from their beds in alarm due to the rather rude awakening. But they had little time to complain as the guard slowly pulled back the barred door.

"Up and at 'em, you lot" he said with a chuckle, "can't keep your loyal fans waiting, now." His job done; the guardsman walked his way back down the hall, his mocking laughter reverberating loudly off the walls. Weary and bereft of any spark for fighting, each member of the Party pushed themselves up to their feet with loud groans.

But just before they left their stock, they heard several of their fellow warriors call out to them from their cells. Without delay, they quickly dispersed to different cells; making certain no one was around to see them. Once the coast seemed clear, Ventris asked what everyone was plotting.

"No tricks, Mum...no plots" assured Kira Nightclaw, "we only wish to offer you something." With these words, several other prisoners rushed about their cells and started fishing around with their hands; as if searching for something. Before long, they revealed either small bottles of water or wine along with pieces of fresh bread that were neatly wrapped inside of torn pieces of cloth.

"Whenever we've managed to win a victory in the games, Gunari would reward us with fresh food" explained the halfling, Zenda; "he claimed that only those who provided the best 'entertainment' would be granted such meals." From here, other prisoners added how they only sampled small bits of their food at a time. When Ursa questioned their reasons for doing this, they said no one knew when their next meal might become their last.

"In any case...after the rather fruitless night of sleep you all had, you'll need your strength to stand against Velra" Makon Dream-Speaker said firmly, "so, eat what you can." After taking a moment to process everything, Ventris proclaimed it felt unjust of her or her comrades to take even a morsel of anyone's food. Sadly, Ursa did not share this same sentiment and she quickly snatched a bread slice from out of a prisoner's hands.

She then proceeded to stuff it full into her mouth and utterly devour it, as if she had not eaten in weeks. Afterwards, she snatched a flask of wine from out the hands of the Tritonian Monk, Anya. Ursa had only sampled but one gulp of the drink, when she suddenly heard her brother's hiss of disapproval.

"SISTER! Show at least some measure of decorum" chided Ezra, "everyone else here needs the food and drink as much as we do!" As droplets of wine dripped softly from off her whiskers, Ursa gazed upon the items in her hands and her cheeks flushed red with shame. With a sigh, she handed back the food to the prisoner and thanked them for their kind generosity.

"It's not enough...but still satisfying nonetheless" Ventris stated, "now, everyone; let's go win our freedom." With a simultaneous nod, the Party wiped themselves clean of any crumbs or wine residue and marched off down the hall to prepare for their duel. But as they approached the great door ahead, Ventris found it difficult to keep herself calm.

In the past two rounds, the Party had barely survived and now...they were on their way to face the Arena Champion. Yet even with this in mind, Ventris thought back to Velra's surprise visit just last night. After seeing her bring Lupa back along with the Loxodon's warrior blessing left everyone in the dungeon seeing her in a different way.

Still, the Party felt that this would mean very little; once they returned to the arena above them.

(The Real World)

As the scene shifts back to reality, we find the Council of Game Masters getting everything prepped for the big faceoff. First, Lynn Sr. had set everyone's mini figs in the center of the arena model before him. Meanwhile, Lynn Jr. found herself cackling eagerly with anticipation. "FINALLY! The real fun of this game's gonna start" she proclaimed, "I've been waiting weeks for this!"

The whole time the young jock turned gladiator-like warrior behaved like this, Lori couldn't help but find it all a little...unsettling. In that moment, a part of her felt tempted in reminding her that the arena fight would just be in their heads; not a real gladiator battle. Yet at the same time; she thought that if she were to say anything, it would imply that she actually cared about what was going on...which she didn't.

Meanwhile, the five other sisters who sat beside her chose to do Lori's job in her place. "Just remember, Sis; this is all a game" Luan stated, "no need to lose our heads over a something that's in our heads. HA-HA-HA! Get it?" Surprisingly, this little jest was enough to garner quite a few light-hearted chuckles from the other players; even the Game Masters themselves.

But the humor quickly subsided and the time to play had finally arrived. "Here, lemme help set the mood" Kotoro said suddenly, "I downloaded a killer fantasy music soundtrack to help set the mood for this session!" Wasting no time, he fished about the pockets of his robe and withdrew his trusty cellphone; which he then proceeded to look up a piece of music on his digital library.

When he finally found it, Kotaro pressed "Play" and the whole room suddenly echoed with the sounds of battle music that seemed straight out of a Roman epic. Soon after that, many players started chanting loudly; which caused the entire room to echo. "Whoa...that's loud" Lynn murmured, "I didn't know people could get so pumped over a game like this."

Upon hearing her say these words, Margo turned to Lynn and explained how everyone's behavior was simply a means to help set the mood. At the same time, however; she claimed that there would be plenty of times where a player might feel the same rush of adrenaline that an athlete might feel (to a degree.) "I'll believe it when I see it, girlfriend" Lynn said firmly, "but for now...let's get started."

The Game Masters all nodded in agreement and wasted no time in setting up the scene. First, Albert decided to add a little humor to the moment by introducing the players like a ringside announcer from a professional wrestling league. "Introducing first, weighing in at 379 pounds; the warrior with the deadly tusks and a tricky trunk...VELRA" he proclaimed, "and in the opposite corner, from parts unknown...THE GLADIATOOOOORS!"

Mere seconds after this announcement was made, Lynn wasted no time in showboating; just like any other wrestler she admired. As a result of this, many players either rolled their eyes or softly groaned in mild annoyance at her. Meanwhile, Lori found herself facepalming with the utmost embarrassment at her sister's actions.

It was one thing for Lynn to do this on a basketball court, baseball diamond, football field or even during board games at the house. But to see her behave like her usual self in such a dorky setting made poor Lori feel even more awkward than she already did. After a while, though; the Game Masters finally called for Lynn to calm down and get back into the game.

It was here that Lynn Sr. (after reassuming his role as Acheron) decided to set the mood next. "After taking a moment to relish in the crowd's cheers, Velra makes her way towards the wall" he explained, "where she proceeded to collect her weapons of choice." After this, the Council's next set of words managed to send a chill up not only Lori's spine but her little sisters' as well; "everybody...roll for initiative."

(The Game World)

The Party watched with bated breath, as Velra approached the weapons display along the eastern wall of the arena. The Luxodon gazed at them with great intent, scratching her chin slightly with both her palm and trunk. Finally, from the wall, she procured a pair of battleaxes in both hands and a shield with her trunk.

With a hearty chuckle, she turned towards her opponents and clashed her blades together with anticipation. Meanwhile, Ursa stared at her with a look of wide-eyed shock plastered upon her face; obviously surprised by the number of armaments Velra had chosen to collect. "This...this cannot be fair" she cried indignantly, "there must be a rule against gladiators using that many weapons at once!"

The Party cast their eyes up towards the royal box, hoping to see Gunari show some measure of mercy and scorn his champion for her choice of arms. But instead, he gave a most fiendish grin and proclaimed that "anything goes" within the coliseum. "Now...let us not stall for much longer" he proclaimed, "let the games begin!" With a ring of the gong and a hearty cheer from the crowd, the final arena trial went underway.

Velra bellowed out a fierce noise from her trunk, raised her axes high and charged straight for the Party. But they quickly scattered about in different directions, hoping to figure out a way to take her on that didn't involve harming her. "Well...the emperor said anything goes within the arena" Shadow said mentally with an outward squawk, "so, let us show her what we can do!"

With these words, the Kenku spellcaster commanded everyone to split up farther while she provided a "necessary distraction." Although her spellbook was still under Gunari's possession, at the moment; she still knew more than enough spells that would aid her. "I only hope this will work" she thought, "I don't expect it to...but if it can help hurt Velra even slightly, it will be enough."

After that, everyone watched Shadow wrap her wings about her; as if she were feeling fearful and were attempting to hide herself. This gave Velra the idea to take her on first, believing the Kenku to be the weakest member of the Party. But as she charged forward, weapons in hand, she failed to notice the faint violet glow emanating from the few feathers her wings had.

Faster and faster she charged, the very ground beneath her massive feet quaking with every step she took. "I mean no offense to you, strange one" Velra stated, "but...if one must die in the match, I shall start with you!" As the Loxodon prepared to deliver her blow, she watched as Shadow's eyes suddenly flashed a bright purple from beneath her hood.

Afterwards, she unfurled her wings while letting out a cry so fierce; it pained the ears of all who heard it. Of course, this was not Shadow's plan of attack at all...it was her feathers. The very instant Shadow unfurled her wings; every glowing feather flew off them and proceeded to cut at Velra's arms, legs and even her trunk.

Alas, the Loxodon warrior's hide was so thick that the attack was only capable of leaving the smallest of scratches upon her. Still, it was a rather effective surprise attack; which allowed Ursa to make her strike next. With elegant grace, she leapt into the air and let several daggers rain down upon Velra like hail.

But the Loxodon, with her shield raised high above her head, managed to block them as if they were nothing but raindrops. "Tch! Pitiful, utterly pitiful" she grunted indignantly, "if you expect to hold your own against me, feline...you'll need to hit me with something harder!" As the last dagger clacked heavily upon Velra's shield, Ursa landed behind her with the grace of a dancer and smiled.

"Why do you look so smug, feline" Velra demanded, "your assault on me failed!" Once more, Ursa smiled at her opponent before revealing that she knew her daggers would be no match for her. However, it became clear that she had no intention of harming her that way.

"Be done with your riddles" Velra shouted with an angry roar of her trunk, "what are you planning to..." Before the warrior could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt something wrapping tightly around her legs. She looked down to see what looked like vines sprouting out from below her and coiling around her feet. With an angry grunt, Velra cast a glance to the left of her and saw that it was the druid (Ezra) who was behind it all.

"You think these pitiful vines of yours can hold me" shouted Velra, "I'll split them all with one swipe of my axe!" With that said, the gladiator was moments away from doing exactly that until she felt a slight pricking sensation at her feet. She glanced back down and saw that the vines that ensnared her had suddenly been covered with thorns; which managed to poke down slightly through Velra's thick skin.

Mind you, these were not poisonous thorns nor were they able to harm Velra all that deeply. But they had caused the gladiator just enough pain for her to fall onto one knee, thus leaving her open for an attack. It was here that Mituna collected a spear from the weapons wall and charged straight for Velra.

But despite the slight pain in her legs, the Loxodon warrior remained undeterred and assumed a defensive position. She took her shield in one hand, held it firmly over herself and waited patiently for her opponent to draw near. The crowd and Gunari himself were aquiver with anticipation, wondering which fighter may deliver the next blow.

(The Real World)

"You charge forward with all the speed you can muster" Principal Huggins said emphatically, "you appear ready to skewer Velra where she stands...what do you do next?" As everyone's eyes slowly eased in her direction, Luan was already in the midst of wracking her brain for an idea; anything that might help move things in her team's favor. But alas, no matter how many times she knocked her knuckles atop her forehead...nothing popped into her head.

Then, she glanced down at the table and suddenly started gazing at the tiny spear in her figurine's hands. For what felt like ages, she stared at it and the mini fig of Velra placed in front of her. Soon, the intense thinking expression on Luan's face became so frustrated that many wondered if she might end up with a "Brain Burnout" as a result.

This gave the Council the opportunity necessary to intervene and call for the young lady's attention. "Um...sweetie, might we make a suggestion" inquired Mrs. Johnson, "if you happen to be stuck on ideas, you could always look at your character's abilities on your sheet." The moment this idea was brought up, realization suddenly struck Luan like a pie in the face.

At the same time, she also chose to facepalm herself in annoyance; appearing annoyed that she didn't think up the idea before. "Can we move things along, please" Lynn murmured softly with impatience, "we've only have so many hours to play tonight." Realizing that she had a point, Luan quickly picked up her character sheet and started skimming through it for anything useful.

It was here that she discovered that Bards had a +3 to any agility roll they would make, which made her think back to when she was staring at the spear earlier. With a soft gasp and a giggle, an idea finally came to Luan and she was ready to go. "Okay...here's my idea" she began, "I wanna see if I can dodge Velra's charge by pole-vaulting over her with my spear!"

After taking a moment to applaud Luan's use of her stats, the Council urged her to make a quick Dexterity Check; making certain to remind her of the +3 points she mentioned earlier. Without a moment's delay, the comediene scooped up her D20 and shook it like mad before skidding it along the table. After about fifteen seconds of waiting, the die stopped just barely in front of Albert's view.

"Alright, now" he sighed while readying his old eyes, "let's see what'cha got here." Making certain not to fall out from his chair, Albert leaned over the table and took a close look at Lola's dice roll; which he proclaimed it to be a nine. Sadly, even with the additional three points, Luan's dodge would be unsuccessful.

"Alas...as you plunge your spear into the sand and attempt to vault Velra, your weight causes it to snap" Albert said in his Karuk voice, "as a result, you unceremoniously fall on top of her; just barely crushing her beneath your shell." To add insult to injury, Lynn Sr. performed another dice roll and proclaimed that Luan's spill caused both hers and Lynn's characters to receive ten points of battle damage. "Oh, well; look on the bright side, Luan" Lucy murmured, "at least one of us was able to hurt Lynn's character a little...ha-ha-ha."

Much to everyone's surprise, including Luan, this small quip from the young Goth caused quite a few players to actually chuckle and/or giggle loudly. Before long, even she found herself laughing at her unscripted joke. But while everybody else was having their fun, a certain blonde was feeling rather anxious.

"Great...somebody finally manages to land a hit on Lynn and it barely even makes a dent" Lori grumbled mentally, "at this rate, I'll be an old biddy when the game's finally over!" With a light outward grumble of impatience, the eldest Loud Sibling was prepared to pick up the dice and make her roll as quickly as possible. But then, she remembered the results of the earlier Initiative Roll...and the fact that she got the lowest number.

This meant that Lori would be the last one to play the round and that she'd also have to wait for her four other sisters to play theirs. When Lucy came up next to pick up the dice, Lori used this opportunity to look at her phone. At the moment, the time had read exactly 8PM; which meant she would be "forced to endure" another two hours of the game before going to bed.

"Just keep your chin up, missy" Lori urged mentally with an outward look of stern determination, "this round can't go on for too much longer...right?"

(First AN: So sorry for taking so long with this chapter, everybody. Between the holiday season, certain stuff at home and finding any moments of peaceful solitude to focus on writing; this took longer than I wanted. But hopefully, this will be well worth the wait for all of you.

As the arena battle rages on; who will come out on top, will the Party manage to escape the city and return to their quest for the Bloodstone Keep and how much longer will Lori be able to maintain her sanity? The answers to these questions and more will soon be revealed, as the story continues)

(Second AN: For those who don't quite notice it, the title of this particular chapter holds a double meaning. The "fight for freedom" isn't just within the game itself, it's also with the fact that some of the Loud Sisters (mostly Lori) want desperately to find a way out of playing any further. Seems rather fitting, don't you think?)

(Third AN: The retort Lynn Sr makes to Lori about her teenage pride getting in the way of things is yet another light reference to my Gal Pals story, along with the moment where Lynn Jr practices some deep breathing in order to properly hone into her jock mentality. Both references are meant to help any new readers understand that both stories take place within the same univere)

(Final AN: The Scorpion Sauce Flip offers for players to taste is not only real, it's also a featured recipe in the Düngeonmeister Cookbook; one of two official D&D themed recipe books available to the public. It's called that because the key ingredient of it is Scorpion Peppers, one of the hottest known peppers on earth; next to the Carolina Reaper and the infamous Ghost Pepper.

Should you ever try to make the sauce yourselves, sample it with caution...seriously)