Posted by NBabe on October 24, 1999 at 12:37:38:
The Arena of Death
Long ago and far away, it was once popular to pit fighters against each other or even sometimes against animals in a death fight in the arena. The stories don’t often speak of heroes and villains in the arena, they just tell us of the horrible deaths that were wrought. We know there were male and female, large and small, weak and strong. We can only speculate on whether the winners were always the larger and stronger of the participants, or perhaps if there really were no winners at all.
Such a story as this survives to this day in the mythology of a small Greek province near Macedonia. The story of the Arena of Death.
OUR HERO
By
Frances E. W. Harper
Onward to her destination,
O'er the stream the Hannah sped,
When a cry of consternation
Smote and chilled our hearts with dread.
Wildly leaping, madly sweeping,
All relentless in their sway
, Like a band of cruel demons
Flames were closing 'round our way
Oh! The horror of those moments;
Flames above and waves below—
Oh! The agony of ages
Crowded in one hour of woe
. Fainter grew our hearts with anguish
In that hour with peril rife,
When we saw the pilot flying,
Terror-stricken, for his life.
Then a man uprose before us—
We had once despised his race-
-But we saw a lofty purpose
Lighting up his darkened face
While the flames were madly roaring,
With a courage grand and high,
Forth he rushed unto our rescue,
Strong to suffer, brave to die.
Helplessly the boat was drifting,
Death was staring in each face,
When he grasped the fallen rudder,
Took the pilot's vacant place.
Could he save us?
Would he save us?
All his hope of life give o'er?
Could he hold that fated vessel
'Till she reached the nearer shore?
All our hopes and fears were centered
'Round his strong, unfaltering hand
;If he failed us we must perish
, Perish just in sight of land.
Breathlessly we watched and waited
While the flames were raging fast;
When our anguish changed to rapture—
We were saved, yes, saved at last.
Gaius was a hero in his homeland. He had fought in many wars and had led his forces to victory in all. Sometimes prevailing against far superior forces but holding the troops with the force of his personality and the strength of his right arm.
Taller than most and quite muscular. His hair was long and black and stuck out under his helmet in the back. His emerald eyes shone like the surface of a mountain lake in the moonlight. His skin well tanned and tight over his strong muscles with only two scars to tell of his former battles. One on his right thigh and the other at the crest of the same hip.
He had served time in his youth in the arena as a gladiator, but had earned his freedom and the admiration of his captives, who had commissioned him in their army. He rose through his service to the rank of Tribune. Lately, he has tired of war and has set off to travel through the world in search of adventure.
Another Dark Lady
By
Edwin Arlington Robinson
Think not, because I wonder where you fled,
That I would lift a pin to see you there;
You may, for me, be prowling anywhere
, So long as you show not your little head:
No dark and evil story of the dead
Would leave you less pernicious or less fair –
-Not even Lilith, with her famous hair;
And Lilith was the devil, I have read
.I cannot hate you, for I loved you then.
The woods were golden then.
There was a road
Through beeches; and I said their smooth feet showedLike yours.
Truth must have heard me from afar
,For I shall never have to learn again
That yours are cloven as no beech's are.
At this same time in a land some distance from that of Gaius, there lived a dark woman. Her name was Nimbia. Nimbia’s hair was dark as the raven’s wing at midnight and reflected the sun and moon in much the same way. Some even thought she could turn into a raven and fly away.
She was not a woman of amazonian proportions. Rather, she was of medium height at 5 feet 4 inches tall and a mere 115 pounds. Her legs seemed longer and smoother than one would expect for a woman her size. The soft skin lightly tanned but kept supple by various lotions. Her hips curved in such a way that no one ever would confuse her with a man.
Her belly was flat and tight and usually had silk clinging to it, which then was raised by the swell of her ample breasts. Her nipples were the size of peas and very hard. It was not unusual to see the fabric of her dress cling to them showing their round hardness.
The back of her favorite dress style was bare, exposing the gentle curve and tender skin of her back down to the waist and then her skirt just covering her well turned buttocks. Many a man had become a willing slave to her charms only to find that he had not gotten what he bargained for. Indeed, slave was the proper term.
With luck he would spend his day in the fields or tending the livestock or cleaning her quarters. With real luck, he would be called upon to work into the night tending to her more personal needs. He might bathe her, give her a massage, and if it pleased his mistress, he would be rewarded with a night in her bed.
Besides her beauty, Nimbia was known for one other attribute. That being her cruel temper if things were made difficult for her. She had a knack of surviving what appeared to be overwhelming odds and putting her enemies to a cruel and merciless death.
She was the mistress of the region of Clamonides and ruled with a fist of iron. Her small army gathered from the best of the suitors who fell victim to her beguiling charms and they were more than willing to fulfill her most cruel order in order to obtain some slight favor.
During his journeys, Gaius had heard stories of Nimbia. Stories of her cruelty and her beauty. It was just the sort of adventure he had been looking to find. For days, he rode toward her land hearing more and more of her and knowing that if anyone could lift her rule it was he. About a day’s journey from entering her lands he stops at a tavern and recruits 5 archers who have returned from wars.
He sends them to the city, in which Nimbia lives and gave them orders that they were to hide until the time to strike. He told them that they would know when that time was without having to be told. The next morning the five left and went ahead of Gaius. He in turn waits one more day before following them to face Nimbia.
It is only a few hours after his arrival that words of a great foreign warrior reaches the ear of Nimbia. She is immediately interested by the stories of his exploits and with her escort of soldiers sets off to meet this man and to bring him into her service.
They entourage meets him in a local tavern spreading through the hall as Nimbia enters and approaches Gaius. All eyes are on her swaying form as she seductively walks toward the man. Dwarfed by his size as he stands nearly a foot taller than her, she speaks, “Are you the warrior I have been hearing about?”
“I am a warrior, I don’t know what you have heard.”
“I would have you join my army, what say you?”
“I say that I would be more inclined to destroy your army” He turns to face her. His heart flutters a little as he looks on her beauty. His mind strong in its resolve to not be taken by her charm.
“Are you sure I could not change your mind, there could be many advantages,” she speaks with a sultry tone as her body leans against his.
“I have heard of the advantages you give”
“Is that a no then?”
“To be sure it is a no”
“I see I can not interest you with my body. I could have you killed you know, “ she looks around the room at her soldiers approaching.
“You could try”
“Why have you come here”
“To depose your rule”
“ALONE?” as she laughs heartily.
“If need be”
“Are you a gambling man?”
“At times”
“You see from those around you I have your outnumbered and I’m sure we could kill you now, but I am confident in myself I offer you a wager.”
He nods.
“We shall fight in the city arena. Tomorrow at noon. If you win, I will free all my slaves and move to another region far away. If I win, you will either join me or die.”
“Done”
“You will meet me tomorrow at noon in the arena, until then dream of what you could have had tonight,” she grabs his hand moving it slowly across her breasts. She then turns laughing and walks out the door followed by her men.
Gaius gets a room in the inn and goes to it. He feels confidence his size and strength and experience as a warrior will make sure he prevails. His hope being that he will not be forced to kill Nimbia. He can understand how her beauty can entrap men.
He falls asleep and sleeps through to the next morning. He arises and has some breakfast and then looks around the town. He can see that people are coming in from all corners of the region to see the fight. He walks by the arena. It is a fair size for the town seating perhaps as many as 2500 around its oval shaped floor. The fighting floor being about 100 feet by 150 feet. The flat surface has six trap doors. They lead to underground areas where animals and slaves are sometimes held.
About 10:00 he goes back to the tavern and gets some food and drink. He then rests until the appointed time nears. He straps on his sword and walks to the arena and is directed to a gate. He enters the floor of the arena and walks to the center. His 6 foot 3 frame of 220 muscular pounds clad in leather armor having cuts and slashes of many battles.
A trumpet sounds and through a side gate walks Nimbia. She is alone, which tends to calm some of his fears that there would be interference. As she strolls toward him, the difference in their sizes is clearly apparent. In the stands many bets are being made. Most that the stranger will prevail.
Nimbia carries a sword and wears a two piece chain mail. One piece barely covers her ample breasts and hangs loosely around her upper abdomen. The other piece covers her groin and lower abdomen. She has her long hair tied up and has a confident grin on her face.
She extends her arm holding out her sword. His crosses hers and she swings clanking her sword against his as he blocks the swing. He turns quickly and swings the force of his blow driving her backward. They exchange blows back and forth for a good half-hour. Nimbia has beads of sweat on her forehead and chest and loose hair sticks to it. She is visibly tiring causing more wagers on the stranger.
She thrusts and parries and then swings her sword at waist height. Gaius easily blocks it feeling how much weaker her attack now is. She steps backward and circles’ looking at the ground her eyes showing her strength is quickly ebbing. Gaius moves forward to press the attack. His plan to disarm her then give her a choice of surrender or death.
His eyes fixed on her; he does not notice the discoloring of the ground he is crossing. Suddenly, his foot falls into a small pit, he hears a loud snap as his ankle breaks. He grimaces knowing he has been lead into a trap, which had been dug for just such a purpose. As he tries to stand, Nimbia has moved behind him and swings with the flat of her blade knocking him unconscious.
The crowd gasps. Gaius lays face down as Nimbia goes to a wall and takes some stakes, a mallet and some leather straps that her soldiers drop to her. She uses all the strength she can to pull Gaius to the center of the arena and roll him on his back. She ties a leather strap to each wrist and ankle and stakes them wide apart. She then cuts open his armor exposing his naked body. Next she gets a goblet of water and pours it in his face awakening him. He coughs and sputters and then notices his position.
“You have won, why haven’t you killed me”
“I was going to ask one more time if you would join”
“You know the answer already, but if you must, NO”
“Have it your way” To embarrass him, she puts his sword near his hand knowing if he could grasp it, he could not harm her with it. She then strips off her chain mail and lays it and her weapons near his hips. She lays her naked body on him and squirms on top of him causing his manhood to react.
She rises up and the whole arena can see her hard nipples and the jiggle of her firm breasts as she breathes and moves. Her fingers guide his shaft as she spreads her labia with it and her wet warm depths welcome his hot throbbing shaft to its hilt.
Her hands go to his chest as she moves her hips up and down moving him in and out of her. Every few minutes she leans and her nipples move on his chest as she moans. The crowd sits enthralled with the show they are being given. Even the guards can not take their eyes from the show.
She has nearly expended all her remaining strength as her hand reaches behind her to squeeze his round globes. A few more thrusts and he begins to spew into her, as he does, her hand picks up a dagger and the point is poised above his navel. As his cum enters her in gobs, she leans forward moaning pushing the dagger blade into him just like his shaft is pushed into her.
She twists the blade as his warm blood flows out and pools on his belly. She shoves it deeper severing his guts and cutting into his spine. His legs and hips tremble and shudder as some more gobs of warm semen shoot up into her. Nearly exhausted, she slowly rises off of him, the excess of his seed flowing down her inner thigh.
She steps to the side over his twitching legs and holds her hands up in victory. In the deafening sound of the arena filled with cheers of soldiers and the jeers of a brave few, no one hears the dull thud of doors opening on the arena floor. Her eyes on the crowd she does not see the five archers pop up and does not hear the arrows let loose at her from all directions.
A look of shocked pain enters her face as the first hits dividing her left nipple in half. It scrapes a rib as it passes and penetrates her lung. A small stream of blood trickles from her mouth frothing with air bubbles. A warm wetness covers her breast. The second goes between two ribs on her right side. Slicing into her penetrating through her liver and into her diaphragm. Dark bile filled blood flows down her side.
The third enters her soft back just below the shoulder blade. It rips through her lung and the point sticks between two ribs in the front of her body. Bright crimson blood flows down the gentle curve of her back and down the crack of her tight butt.
The fourth strikes her halfway between the navel and the pubic region. It easily splits the soft skin of her belly, tearing the soft viscera to shreds as it passes through and grinds into her spinal cord in the back. The fifth in quick succession strikes her at the base of the sternum. It passes through the tough muscle of her stomach and into her pancreas. More blood flows to join the flow from the arrow in her belly, plastering her pubic hair to her skin with its sticky wetness.
Her head rolls side to side as her legs shake. She gasps for breath and looks in surprise at the shafts cruelly sticking from her now blood covered body. By now, streams of blood have made it down her soft firm legs to her ankles. She tries to take a step, but drops to her knees.
In a last expenditure of strength, Gaius grasps the sword near his hand lifting the point to meet her falling body. The point entering beside the arrow at the base of the sternum and slicing down through her intestines in a diagonal path and exiting by dividing her spine in half just above her well curved butt.
She continues to fall the dirt of the arena floor sticking to the sweat on her face. Her soft skin covered with sticky blood and dirt mixed. Her body and Gaius’s twitch and squirm for a short time until the movement of each ceases. Her followers disheartened by the death of their leader run off and leave the region forever. In his death, Gaius has won a victory.
Gaius is given a hero’s funeral and cremation. A statue to he and his men is raised in the town center and will survive for centuries to come. Nimbia’s once beautiful body is dragged to the nearby river and thrown in to become food for the fish and other water creatures. The villagers watch as a crocodile takes a large chunk of her soft belly exposing what guts are left. Then her body disappears below the surface.