The Spark Ignites Pt. 04

Finally, this thing took me a lot longer than it should have, I think I started it mid-December, and I really only finished it at the end of February. With my other things I have had swirling around in my head, I've been busy. Between working on HftRN and work, I have barely been able to get my head on right to think. Yeah, but hey, it's here now, and I have a better set of plans for the next part than I had for this one. My muse willing, it will be easier to work on, if it's not, well shit. Anyways, on with the show.

As always, all characters in this story involved in sexual acts are over the age of 18.

Chapter 17

I felt a soft hand cupping my cheek, and my eyes slowly opened to an inky void. There was nothing around me, nothing in front of me, just a feeling of a hand on my cheek, cupping it like Nereah had when we were having a romantic moment.

"What, who?"

I felt myself ask, but it wasn't like I was really in control of myself, but suddenly a bright light appeared before me. Floating in the darkness was a dark haired goddess with stunning azure eyes. Below that, I could make out nothing about her form, it was simply wrapped in light that hurt my eyes to look at. Somehow, I could tell she was smiling at me. I felt her other hand cup my other cheek, and she drew me close in.

"V, be careful, we need you, I need you, so please, come home soon."

Who was this woman, how did she know my name? Why did she need me? I had so many questions, but I felt her hands slide down onto my shoulders, then gently push me.

"Remember V, come home, please!"

Then, the darkness swallowed everything again. in a quick spiral.

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When I finally came back to the land of the living, the first thing I noticed were the shackles on my arms, followed by something wrapped around my neck. The next thing I noticed was that I was wearing a set of light leather armor that looked like it was taken from a gladiator movie. I wasn't overly concerned however, as I could melt my bindings off fairly easily. However, before I could start that process, the sound of a metal door siding open caught my attention. I looked up, and in walked that forge demon, smirking like she actually accomplished something. Oh, how I wanted to wipe that grin off her face, but I knew that right now, she held all the cards. I had no illusions that even if I could beat her now, there were guards outside who would probably pose more problems. Now was the time for waiting and seeing, as much as it chafed me.

"Look who's finally awake, heheheh, get up, slave, we have an empty spot for your debut right now."

With that, she grabbed the chain, and dragged me from my cell. It was all I could do to get my feet under me as she moved faster than I was ready for. My legs still felt asleep, but they were coming back online as I was forced to walk by block after block of cells. I barely had time to glance into them, but what I could see made sense. Men, women, things I wasn't sure had a gender, all looking like they could hold their own in a fight. I was probably beneath one of the grand fighting pits that belonged to this group of demons, and it was clear that the forge demon meant that I had my first fight, right now.

As we made our way through row after row of empty cells, it seemed like I was the only prisoner here, but then I saw someone. It was a single woman in a fairly nice cell. She looked up and met my eyes. She had deep crimson hair and pale green eyes, all set against skin that was just a shade or two darker than porcelain. Her lips were stained the same color as her hair, causing an idle thought wondering how she managed to get lipstick down here. As she stood up, I could now tell that she was lithe, like a dancer, but I was sure it was all corded muscle underneath that exterior. All in all, she had an ethereal beauty about her that just screamed that she was elegant, but deadly. I had gotten that same feeling from a former assassin that was on Nereah's payroll for reasons she never fully explained. She shook her head, pity in her eyes, and I noticed that she didn't have a collar around her neck. Before I could make any kind of response, I was jerked along again.

It took us several minutes of walking, and a couple flights of stairs, but I heard the roar of a crowd, and the muffled sound of some announcer. As we approached an exit, the forge demon stopped.

"This is your first match, impress me, and I might think about giving you more freedoms, fail that, and I will have you flogged, do I make myself clear?"

I nodded, saying nothing as she pulled out a key. She unlocked my shackles, and they fell to the sandy ground with a pair of thuds. I rubbed my wrists, and tensed my legs to try and strike her, but I felt a sensation around my neck, almost like electricity was starting to flow. I grabbed at the band on my throat, only to find a leather band. I looked up at the demon, and she grinned viciously at me.

"That little slave collar keeps you fighters in line, if you try to harm me, your master, it will send electricity coursing through your body. Now, be a good little fighter and get out there."

She shoved me through the door, and as I fully cleared it, a barred door slammed down behind me, trapping me in the arena. I turned to face the opposite side.

"Aaaand making his debut, the latest servant of our beloved Tiria'Golath. Let's hope he puts up more of a fight than the last one she brought in!"

The announcer's voice rang out as I looked around, it was a sandy arena, roughly circular, with very little in the area. It was basically like a football field, just with sand instead of grass. Well, if I was trapped here, and had to 'impress' this fucking demon, I had to showboat a bit. I wanted to try and get this woman to let her guard down, so I needed to play along. To that end, I raised my arms in the air, like I had seen pro football players do, and started hyping up the crowd. I could hear them roaring in approval, they liked the confidence. My showboating was interrupted by the announcer naming my first opponent.

"And his opponent, we have a recently captured monster from the icy fields of the Ilgateth Fjords! An Icebound Mauler!"

The other door opened up, and something like a giant praying mantis, just with a wickedly tooth maw, tore from it, blood already on its sickle like arms. It was a pale blue, as if made of ice, obviously giving it its name. It looked around the arena, before zeroing in on me. The toothy mouth opened up, and it shrieked at me before charging.

I was thoroughly unimpressed by my opponent, an ice creature, fighting some of the hottest flames to exist anywhere. This'll be a cakewalk. I channeled my powers, feeling them rise in me as my arms were coated in flame. For some reason, I felt more in tune with my powers than ever before, they came at the slightest beckon, but they also felt more unruly, something to contemplate later, after this fight. I used the same moves I had against the demon, creating a ball off flame in one palm, then using the force of it exploding to launch me up and over the mauler. I was not ready for its upper body to turn one-eighty on its thorax and whip at me with both talons. I barely managed to deflect the blow by pressing down on one blade. I then created fire on my heels to spin me around, and send a wave of flame at the creature.

It shrieked and leapt away from me before my fire could do any kind of real damage. I hit the ground in a PK roll, popping back to my feet in an instant. That was good, because it had leapt at me before I was even on the ground again, its talons digging gouges in the sand where I had landed. I was now just a foot away from the creature, and drove a fist into one of its leg joints, coating my arm in fire to burn out any kind of muscles in that leg. I succeeded in practically shattering that one leg, leaving it with only three as it toppled to the sand. I wasn't able to capitalize on its position as the leg next to it flicked out and sent me flying.

It clambered to its feet as I righted myself in the air with a few jets of flame, landing in a crouch as I skidded across the ground. It made a groaning sound before charging me, using its forelegs as more support. It was on me in seconds, but those seconds were more than enough for me to launch myself away from its snapping jaws. I darted to the side, and sent a burst of fire into the open mouth. I know I shouldn't be just sending fire out like a flamethrower, but this wasn't a fight I wanted to do in close quarters. The creature kept screeching as its mouth burned, trying to put out the flame. I now sent my powers thrumming through my body, and my legs started burning. I was ready to end this thing, and charged at it as it kept trying to get rid of the pain in its mouth.

I used another explosion to boost me into the air, and one more to send me into a spiral. The final blow was my leg flashing out in a wheel of fire, beheading the creature. I was sprayed with ice cold blood as the thing's body stumbled around for a few steps. Without a head, the body soon fell, a few death spasms signaling my victory.

I stood over the head, panting heavily, reigning in my powers was taking more out of me now than it ever had before. I planted one foot on the top of the thing's head, and raised my arm, holding a thumb out sideways, like I had seen in old gladiator movies. The crowd roared, and I saw many start giving a thumbs down, so I raised my foot, and brought it back down, crunching through the icy exoskeleton as it popped like a watermelon. The crowd redoubled its noise, the sounds of approval ringing in my ears.

"Folks, we may have the making of a new champion! He took that mauler on like it was nothing!"

I knew I was doing something dumb; I should be looking for a faster way out, but Nereah had briefed me on a plan, in case this ever happened. I was to work the system, fight, climb the ladder, and when I had the chance, break it all to the ground. She had never led me wrong before, so I trusted her now. My new 'master' stepped out on the sand now, whistling loudly at me. I knew Tiria'Golath was summoning me, so I walked over there, showboating the entire time. Work the crowds up, make yourself a fan favorite, make it hard for them to just dispose of you. All advice I was given, and I would follow it to the letter. As I approached the flaming woman, she nodded in tacit approval, so much like my father that I almost tried to strike at her again.

"Hmm, you may just be cut out for this."

She commented as she led me back to my cell, no need for the manacles now that I was exhausted. She led me back to my cell, and once again, I saw the woman from before, she looked at me, covered in blue insectoid blood as I was, in shock. I looked entirely human, but I had obviously come out on top in my first match. That must have been what shocked her, but before I could say anything, I was led to a cell not a few ones down from her, but on the opposite side. It wasn't as nice as the other woman's, but it was better than the one I had woken up in.

"This is your new home, if you start any kind of trouble, the guards will beat you senseless and drag you back to your original cell in chains."

She shoved me forward into the cell and slammed the door behind me. I glanced around, I had a single bed, nailed to the floor, along with a sink and a toilet, both attached to the wall. It was basically a modern prison cell. It was quiet for a few minutes, and I was about to get comfortable in my bed, but a voice from across the hall caught my ear.

"Hey newbie."

I looked around, glancing at the cells around me, but they were empty, until I looked back over to the woman, who was now standing at the bars of her cell. She had tucked her hair behind her ear, and now I could see her ear was pointed. She was an elf, possibly one of the 'prissy tree huggers' that I had heard Nereah grumble about from time to time.

"What do you want?"

She scoffed at me, stepping back from the bars now that she had my attention.

"You're an idiot for showing off that much. If you had laid lower, I'm sure she would just ignore you. Not now."

I raised an eyebrow at that. How she put so much venom in that word made me question who 'she' was. Also, how did she know I showed off?

"The fuck are you on about, and how do you know what I did?"

The woman scoffed and turned to point at a screen attached to the ceiling. It showed a view of the arena, and the corpse of the thing I fought being dragged away by a couple beasts of burden. That meant, fuck. She turned back to me in a whirl of hair, her eyes hard.

"Two pieces of advice, when she makes deals, she says two truths and a lie, and don't accept any deals she offers you. Men die, and women wish they were killed."

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Chapter 18

Before I could respond, the sound of a group walking down the hallway interrupted us. I saw two meathead looking guards moving in lockstep. They were broad shouldered, and blocked the view of anything behind them. As they came to a stop in front of my cell, they each took a step to the side, revealing a short, petite woman who at first had cherry red skin and dark wavy hair. But as I looked at her, her appearance changed. Her hair shortened and turned crimson, almost mirroring Kari's own bloody locks. Her skin darkened to a dusky tint along with her breasts swelling, mirroring Nereah's color and general form. Her eyes also shifted, from black coals to match Alariel's stunningly blue eyes. She was a fusion, looking like the women that were important in my life, ones that I was either intimate with, or people I had had thoughts about in Alariel's case. This mixing was kind of pissing me off, because she would never be any of those women, she was just trying to look like them. But when she opened her mouth, it nearly sent me over the edge into a true rage.

"Well hello there."

She purred in Bri's voice as she leaned forward against the bars of my cell. Her lips quirked up into a kind smile, as if she was talking to an old friend. It made my blood boil. I glared at her, and her mouth only widened into a shit eating grin.

"What's the matter big boy? I just wanted to talk, and maybe make an offer."

I took a deep breath, stilling the roaring flame inside my heart before I let it out and barbequed this bitch. If she had guards, and the elf warned me about her, this demon, because she could only be that, had standing, prestige. If I fried her, I would probably be executed, painfully. So, I grit my teeth and kept as much of my cool as I could. The demon pouted as I refused to respond to her bait, but shrugged it off after a moment.

"Fine, I can dig a strong, silent type. My name is Lady Zarika, I am the true power calling the shots here, I can offer you something everyone in these cells wants, freedom, and pleasure beyond your imagination."

Two truths and a lie, it wasn't that hard to figure out the lie. Her aura just screamed 'I have power', and she just seemed like she would demand people call her 'lady whatever'. Freedom? Now that was something that just sounded too good to be true. Especially in a fucking fighting pit.

I shook my head, I would find my own way out, and I told her that.

"I will find my own way to freedom, I don't take handouts, and I have someone waiting for me back home."

I shouldn't have said anything at all, but in my confidence, I had no reason to hold back. Zarika smiled gently before her hand whipped out, sharp nails sinking into the flesh just behind my jaw. She yanked me close, crashing my head into the bars, causing an eruption of stars in front of my eyes as I felt blood trickling down my forehead and face, along with her nails piercing my skin. When my vision cleared, all of the kindness she was showing before was gone. Replaced by a sadistic grin.

"Then you'll fight, and keep fighting, until you take my generosity. Aren't I such a kind and caring ruler?"

With that, she shoved me with her other arm, sending me stumbling away until I fell to the ground. Her nails raked across my jawline, drawing a hiss from my lips as they spilled even more of my blood. The bitch turned on her heel and snapped her fingers as she walked away, the guards turned and followed her, keeping at a respectful distance. I sat there, on the floor, gathering my thoughts. The area was silent, save for their movement. Once their noise faded to silence, the elf spoke again.

"You took the best option. That crazy cunt doesn't touch men, she just uses them like marionettes, dancing to her tune as she drains them of their energy. Women that she fancies usually don't get a choice, they're taken to her quarters and never seen again."

I groaned and moved over to sit on my cot, groaning as my vision swam once again.

"So you're telling me that bitch is a succubus, just without any of the sucking?"

The elf rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"I suppose you could put it that way. She's a temptress, but without ever giving them the satisfaction before they die. She just takes, and she has the warlord here wrapped around her finger. To her, he's more useful as a figurehead than sucked dry of his energy."

I squinted at her. How did she know all of these things? All of that would be kept heavily under lock and key. Was she some kind of spy that was caught, or maybe a traitor that was here to be punished.

"How do you know any of this?"

She looked at me with a slight smirk before she ran her thumb across the underside of her arm. Just below there, a tattoo of a skull appeared for a brief moment before vanishing in the next.

"Lord Death has many eyes and ears."

My eyes grew wide as I backed up against the wall, this woman was part of a fairly shadowy organization, known only as The Hunters. They were servants of Death, and were monsters in a fight. Nereah had told me a couple of stories about Hunters from across the Veil slaying greater demons with ease. They were terrifying to any undead, and honestly, to me as well. They weren't just hunting the undead or those who summoned the dead. They hunted demons too, and my powers were demonic in nature. The elf must have sensed my worry, because she rolled her eyes.

"Calm down V, you have a handler that Lady Graves meets with every couple months or so. We know you aren't an immediate threat. You aren't in any danger of being run through by an Aetherium steel blade, yet."

She knew my fucking name too! Not only did I have the eyes of heaven on me, I was on a watchlist by a true shadow organization! Her reassurance about me not being killed by them did nothing to calm my racing heart. The elf looked at me with some annoyance, before sighing.

"Look, kid,"

I met her eyes, and she had some concern in them. It reminded me of the looks Nereah would give me when I woke up from a nightmare. There was no pity in them, just understanding.

"Just survive the next while, because right now, there are plans in the works that will help you get back to your lover, and me back to mine. Just, you need to survive, that's it, though that can be easier said than done. That cunt has you in her sights now, and she wants to break you."

She was right, survival was the most important part now, and I was a fucking survivor. I wouldn't let that crazy bitch break me, I. Would. Survive. Even if it hurt me, I would make it back to my girls, all of them. Though, one question still remained in my mind.

"But if you work for Death, why are you here in the pits instead of hanging out in the shadows?"

I saw her lips thin into a grimace, shaking her head as she stepped back further into her cell.

"Zarika killed a couple of our members that have diplomatic immunity a couple decades ago while they were delivering souls to hell. While Lord Death may be fairly kind, he also has a long memory, and holds a grudge like no other. To that end, I was to be captured, and would deliver information."