Author's Note: Some scene's contain explicit violence and gore.
* * * * *
The entourage set out from the granite walls of The Majestic's stronghold towards the city proper. Six elite guards walked with weapons held ceremoniously before them and took flanking positions all around The Majestic's litter. Eight slaves covered in dark hemp robes manned the four struts on each side of the litter. The fabric was bound with buckles, and the cowl's were full hoods; the whole garment took away their identity. Each one was identical to the other as they marched along carrying the large litter on their backs.
Inside The Majestic lazed on a pile of satin pillows from behind a curtain of red silk. Her gaze was focused elsewhere, but she managed a poised posture as she awaited arrival at the arena. Her hair had been braided beautifully into a large fan of arches behind her head. The gown she wore was low cut, black velvet, and long enough that the excess fabric at the bottom pooled into a blanket over her feet. There she sat alone to brood as they traveled.
The trek was long, so her thoughts had all but run their course when the litter came to a slow stop. The slaves set the litter down with rehearsed precision and steadiness. Once finished, they took positions cowering behind the elite guard. Those soldiers were position between their lady's liter and the other ruling Zecair elf nobles. Four richly dressed noblemen and women stood waiting the last arrival of their peers. Two ladies of twin likeness stood together with one arm entwined with that of the other to display their unity. They contrasted in their attire with alternating matching colors in both their garments. Even their hair was arranged in reciprocal designs -- one with matching pigtailed ribbons, the other with a straight plume from the top of her head.
Next to them, stood The Unkillable. He wore no armor, just a vibrantly puffed silk shirt with gold trim, and skin tight leather pants that showed off the definition of each muscle of his lower half and then some. The leather was striped in taupe and black, it gave his lower extremities quite the eye catching appeal.
"Dear Sister!" He shouted with a smile and raised his arms to the air as if to invite an embrace. "We were going to start without you, too bad you ruined it."
The red silk curtain flashed aside and the Majestic thrust forward with a voracious down turned glare at her brother-in-law. With her hands thrust out downward at her thighs she walked the ramp up to the platform above. It was the grin on her face that betrayed the offensive posture as she approached him and pressed her half exposed flesh to his chest.
"Greetings..." she breathed huskily at him with her lips mere breath's away from his red mustache. "Where is your lifemate? Do I get you all to myself this day?" The Unkillable thrust out his hips in gesture and clasps one of his hands to her exposed lower back, causing his straining groin to grind against her thigh.
"None for you I'm afraid." He breathed back as he suddenly broke away from her. "Let the blood boil a bit in the bloodbath below before you speak of 'lifemates'." He chided her. "But alas, your sister has taken to bed with a headache. I fear I was too rough on her this morning." The Majestic passed by the twins and lifted a sleeved arm to each one in turn to caress the opposing cheek of each woman in greeting. She took to the stairs to follow The Unkillable into the seating beyond. A soft touch caught her other hand and guided her away.
"So fast. So forgetful..." He breathed and kissed her hand. Something in that contact made her body shudder in anticipation. She slowly withdrew her hand.
"Charmer, I did not forget." She smiled demurely. "My mind was focused on less pleasant things, and I wished to save such a delectable conversation until those thoughts were washed away in the glory and joy that is to come." The lordling took his hand back and tilted his head to one side, this caused his long straight lockes of pure white hair to fall and cover half his face. His shirt was long and burgundy, and billowing at the sleeves. The black pants he wore ended in tight brown riding boots that went all the way to the knees. They made a click-click as he walked from the metal reinforcements in the toes.
"One wonder's who is charming who." He purred and slid past her as if gliding in a dance step. He followed the twins up the ramp into the seating beyond leaving The Majestic to bring up the tail of the procession. The seating area hosted twelve stone thrones in two rows of six carved into the rock steps that led to the edge of a pit. It was the only seating around the rim of this arena; this was something only a select few could see. No one else was present at this gathering but the five under-elves. The Majestic's guard and slaves waited with the litter outside, leaving their mistress to her social obligations inside. She took her seat between The Charmer and The Unkillable, and the twins floated by to take their seats farthest away from the entryway next to the war lord.
"Would you like to place a wager?" The Charmer began the nights affairs. "I will put five casks of aged behemoth blood on the defenders. It's a fools bet, I'm sure, but I get the impression tonight will be an interesting one." The twin with the plume of hair chuckle in a ladylike fashion.
"I will see your bet with twelve Cutharin slaves we have in our household. You should find their venom useful in your... Charming." She smiled demurely.
"One always needs to numb the pain of dealing with you, dear Allurer." Charmer countered, and blew her a kiss. "Will The Majestic grace us with her offer?"
"I will abstain." She stated and folded her hands in her lap demurely. The Unkillable lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. A servant male came to stand behind his seat.
"I will have wine before the match, and roast flank chop after the first match. Betting makes me anxious." He grumbled and leaned forward with his chin in his hand. The servant bowed quickly and hurried off.
"Lady Deliquescence, you have refrained from wagering, does your sister speak for you as well?" The Charmer piped in.
"She does not waste her breath on frivolities, my lord." Her sister answered for her. "She allows me the pleasure of using my tongue." To which the Charmer slowly recoiled in his chair. The servant arrived with a glass goblet filled with red wine. The Unkillable took it, and casually held it in his hand as he waited for the show to start. It didn't linger long, a low rumbling sounded that could be felt in the stone floor as two gates opened in the arena below. The balcony seats were fifty or so feet from the arena floor, and no one else was present around the arena rim - this was a private party. The four nobles watched as a small army entered the stage. They were an amalgam of races, all humanoid, all dark-dwellers, and all armed to the teeth with spears, swords, axes, and metal claws. Some wore armor, some didn't. They were slaves, and none below showed any military discipline. They didn't acknowledge the spectators above but collected in the center and began to converse in voices inaudible at that distance. Another gate opened and a high pitched screech ripped through the air and startled all those gather.
"Damn, a screech beetle." The Charmer muttered. "It would seem I have lost that bet, and all others against those monstrosities. At least I have the pleasure of being indebted to such quintessential beauties." He touched his hand to his forehead and bowed in their direction in a manner of salutations.
Below, a thunderous stomping echoed from the pit to the cavernous walls above as a giant insect charged from the gates. The gladiators fanned out into a semicircle to intercept it as it came on. It plowed through and gored the first one in its giant mandibles before he could scream. They descended upon the monster, slashing and hacking at its chitinous bulk as it shredded and devoured their companion. Their metal weapons were insufficient against its armor, and the giant bug took little interest in them. But their horror was too soon realized as a second monster beetle charged into the arena room and trampled three of the warriors dead. They descended on the first beetle with a desperate fury, one warrior even managed to climb atop the ten-foot tall monster's back and started thrusting his spear at its neck joints. The beetle paid him no mind as it skewered another warrior in its large, spear like mandibles. Between the two of them, the gladiators were slaughtered in mere moments. Only the beetle-rider managed to survive longer than his comrades. And when it dawned on him that he was the only one left, he abandoned his spear and hung tight to the bug's back hoping to go unnoticed.
As its companion set about devouring the deceased, the besieged screech beetle charged at one of the arena walls. Gruesome stone spikes lined the upper portions of the stone walls to prevent escape by the confined. It seemed intent on impaling itself on the bottom row of those spikes; the rider on its back just hung on for fear of his life. But just before it reached the wall, the giant bug skidded to a halt and bucked its back section up into the air, the langken warrior flailed into the air as it was sent to its death against those spikes. The Unkillable laughed.
"Smart abominations, aren't they?" he chuckled and downed the remainder of his wine in one gulp. "More!" he shouted, and the steward came scuttling up with a jug in hand.
"I find no appeal in such mismatched battles." The Alluring sneered as she wrinkled up her nose. "The fear of death, just stinks up the room. Whereas the fear of loosing is much more sweet. Place two well matched opponents together, and see them fight tooth and nail till the bitter end." She smiled and leaned against her sister's shoulder in affection. "This one was over too soon." Her sister leaned in to bite playfully at her sister's ear. They were lost in their own fawning when the Charmer leaned in towards the Majestic.
"My lady, you are so quiet this evening. Not enjoying the fights?"
"Present matters preoccupy me." She breathed nonchalantly. Her gaze was fixated on the feasting below.
"Come now, you're not still sore I stole you're little white devil away from you are you?" the Unkillable scolded her. The Majestic turned her head and grinned ever so coyly.
"Never darling. She was more trouble than she's worth. I hope you fuck her into insanity." The Unkillable scrunched his nose up and snorted. Her verbal barb was meant for him. "I came across a lesser species, whose actions just did not make sense to me. And that has troubled my thoughts of late."
"Phah, that human? He was worthless, be happy I killed him."
"Oh, sorry darling. My mind drifted, I wasn't talking about the human. He's rotting in some hole by now. Good riddance." She waved the steward over to her, and was served a goblet made of gold and had it filled with the same wine. Slowly she drank as they awaited the next match.
