Caught In Darkness Ch 06

Author's Note: Some scene's contain explicit violence and gore.

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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.

"Wagers?" The Charmer leaned in.

"I wager, that your perfume will be the end of you darling." The Majestic slowly turned her head to stare down the male that had inched so close to her.

"You don't like it? I had hoped it would excite your mood."

"It does." She smiled at him. "Just not in a favorable way."

"Favorable to whom?" He grinned wickedly at her and resigned himself back to his chair.

"I wager the next fight will be more interesting." The Unkillable chuckled, and lifted his goblet into the air. The steward quickly arrived to fill it, but the Unkillable's unsteady hand made the cup move, and the wine spilled onto the stone floor.

"What a waste." The Alluring sighed. "he was such a dutiful servant too." The Unkillable quickly turned his head and smiled at her.

"You have no idea." He tossed his goblet into the air, and all the nobles watched it as it tumbled end over end into the pit bellow. So fixated on it were they, they didn't notice the sizzling sound coming from under The Majestic's seat. The wine had flowed down the stone steps and was reacting with something underneath it.

The Unkillable leaned in towards the Alluring and grinned a deadly smile as an ear splitting explosion erupted not but two feet beside him from under The Majestic's throne.

The sound of the explosion called the guards into the seating area. They stood dumfounded and in awe as they watched helplessly as their mistress tumbled like a rag doll through the air into the pit beyond. Then their blood went cold when they saw the two hulking screech beetles that lurked below feasting on the bodies of gladiator's they had just killed. The nobles stared just as dumbfounded as they watched one of their own falling to her doom.

"M-murder!" The Alluring named him and pointed to the Unkillable. She staggered as she stood, and held her ears to stop them from ringing. The male laughed and grabbed her pointing arm.

"She is still alive!" He grinned at her. "Go see for yourself!" He shouted as he pulled her in, took one hold of her waist, and tossed the dainty woman into the air after The Majestic. He turned to regard her sister, but the Deliquescent had caught stone debris to her head and was moaning prone on the floor, unconscious.

Only the Charmer stood to witness the madness unfolding. His wits collected quickly and he hopped up the steps and snatched a sword from one of the confused elite guards. The soldier did not know who to obey in this situation, the rules of their society had locked him into a do-nothing position - he could not act against a member of the nobility with The Majestic. His mistress had been blow away to her death below, and that put him out of a job. He looked to his fellow soldiers, but found the same fear-stricken confusion that he suffered in the other guards' face.

"Let us not be too quick to temper here, my friend." The Charmer began as he put distance between himself and the Unkillable. "You'll need a witness to say the Alluring, in a fit of jealousy, cast the spell that murdered The Majestic. And you, in all justice, sent her to the same fate."

"Or you could just stick me with that sword, and tell the truth." The Unkillable laughed and waved the steward over for more wine. The servant oddly obeyed, as if nothing had happened, and the Zecarin general toasted to himself. "Do you really think this was my idea?" He chuckled as he staggered over to the railing to see the body of Alluring crash painfully into the ground below. "Or that we were meant to survive? If it makes you feel better stick me now. Because the real murderer has plans for us both to die tonight. And I would rather die quickly with a sword in my belly, than poison in my veins. " The Unkillable lunged at the servant and snatched the wine jug from the trembling male's hands. He began to chug away the red liquid as if he was dying of thirst. This left the Charmer with a moment to consider his words, and he didn't consider long before leaping forward and thrusting his sword at the Unkillable. The General spun at the last moment and smashed the wine jug over The Charmer's head.

Splintered porcelain dug into the man's scalp as he fell. Quickly his white hair turned bright red from both blood and wine. The Unkillable easily claimed the dropped sword and thrust it into the male's exposed backside right below the ribs.

"I'm sorry, I lied. This was all my idea. You murdered The Majestic, and The Alluring. The Majestic's guards, sought vengeance on you. Here you are killed with one of their swords. And I avenged your death against her guards. All ends are now nicely tied up." The Charmer could no longer hear him, the life had left him through the other end of the sword. His words did not fall on deaf ears however, as The Majestic's guards took a nervous defensive position and waited on the General's next move.

"Ha! Fools! You think that will serve you?! I am THE UNKILLABLE!" He shouted and descended on them in full battle bury. He sliced through one guard's throat before he had a chance to blink. Steel rang against steel, and death cries echoed off the cavern walls one right after the other.

So lost in the battle was The Unkillable, he did not notice the blur of brown that flew off the stair steps into the pit below...

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The explosion was deafening as the echoes reverberated off the rock walls back at them. They could see a body fly off into the air, and disappear, but it was there and gone before the edge of the ramp obscured the rest. He watched the elite guards of his mistress panic, and rush up the ramp to investigate. He heard talking, then shouting, and then someone died. That was all he needed to know.

His legs carried him up the ramp in a matter of seconds and took him past the melee that was breaking out in the arena seats. That wasn't where he needed to be, he needed to be where her perfume was coming from. In that one second his mind took in all that was going on in the pavilion above, he knew what had happened and who had flown into the pit below. His feet kept going, and he launched himself into the air and into the darkness below.

On the way down he saw an injured woman limping away from two monstrous beetles that were too intent on gorging themselves of prey than to notice her. But it was on his way down that he spied her, his mistress, caught on the spikes jutting from the walls. Her hair had snagged on one of them, and now she hung limp and lifeless from it by her hair. As he fell past, he caught the tip of the protrusion and flipped around its circumference once to slow his momentum. There he hung face to face with his broken mistress.

She moaned.

He pulled her belt free, that silvery chain laced with razor blades, and used it to saw through those red strands of hair that held her captive to the wall. In a moment she fell free, leaving behind a mass of tangled red hair. He caught her with his legs. Begrudgingly he had only one choice, and dropped them both to the ground. It was a rough landing, and his knees stung from the scraping. She looked undamaged from the front, but it was the back that was worse. Burned skin embedded with stone shrapnel covered her backside. If she didn't get aide soon, she would die shortly.

An ear piercing scream like two giants of metal grinding against one another startled his attention away from his mistress. One of the screech beetles had spotted the limping Zecarin noblewoman and was rearing up for a charge. She saw it coming and she screamed in fear as she made for the gate twenty feet away. The beetle charged and its speed would overtake her in a few seconds.

But his was greater.

He flew across the dirt and tackled one of the monster's legs. The impact made it crumple sideways, and skid along the dirt ground. In that instant that it's head was ground level he grabbed one of the giant mandibles and pulled. The maw came open, and the monster screeched at him. The chitinous fang was structurally reinforced against the force he was exerting, and as the monster started to pull its jaw back, so too was its strength against him greater.

So he reversed his momentum.

Four feet of the mandible broke off in his hands and green gore splattered all over him. The monsters shrieked in pain and jerked itself to its feet. Its prey had eluded it to the safety of the gate. The metal bars came down to the ground and locked the woman inside, safely out of harm's reach. But so two did she lock the monsters in with him. The other screech beetle was walking towards the broken Majestic, it was full on the flesh of the others slain and was merely inspecting this new meal.

He grunted and hurled the broken tusk into the air. It flew like a javelin until it embedded itself in the creature's eye. The screech beetle wailed loudly with such a horrendous din that he had to stop and cover his ears. In that brief instant the one-fanged beetle plowed into him with its head and tossed him into the air. It waited, open maw, for his return plummet. As he came down he latched onto the remaining black glistening tusk and swung about it. The monster beetle tried to snap him up, but he had already planted his feet into the side of it's face and held himself out of harm's way. It thrashed about and raised it's head up to slam the side he clung too into the ground. At the last minute, he lept off as the bulk smashed into the dirt. The force was tremendous, and sent a dust cloud up all around the monster's head. It also jarred the beast senseless. As it tried to shake off the daze he thrust one of his fist's into its glaring, multifaceted bulbous eye. It pushed through, and popped the orb like a bubble, showering the man in more green gore. He pushed deeper in, until he felt something solid, grabbed it, and yanked. A hunk of lumpy grey matter came out covered in green ichor.