BETRAYED

PART I: WELCOME TO THE ARENA

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CHAPTER I: BLOOD RED SANDS

Every time it was the same, down to nearly every single fine detail. The drone of the crowds, to which I had become accustomed to long ago, the small circle, the floor dusted with sand, the four pillars, the spiked walls. The sand was a light tan color, but splatters of blood dried in the sun were strewn about the ground. The only difference was the opponent, standing on the other side, clad in a dingy yellow raiment, waiting behind the gate in anticipation. His goal was the same as mine, fight, and win. Or fight, and die.

If I wanted to, I could have mouthed along with the words. The words, they rang aloud over the excited screams of the crowd. "Good people of the Imperial City!" Just as I had expected, word for word, the same drivel that I'd heard a million times before. "Welcome, to the Arena!" The crowd grew louder on the final word. "Tonight, we have a clash of gladiators that will be remembered through the ages!" First it was my turn. "From the blue team, I give you, the fierce, deadly, axe-wielding Nord, Rothgaur the Red!" The announcer drew out each syllable in my name, and the crowd roared again. I stood waiting, having no desire to bask in my glory. "On the other side, from the yellow team, an archer with swiftness unmatched by any other!" An archer, great, just what I needed. "Straight from Morrowind, I give you, Andras Venim!"

This 'Andras Venim' was a lucky man, he had survived the arena thus far, but I didn't mind being the one to end his streak, forever. I had to do what I had to do so I could stay alive until next time. A squeal came from the rusty gate, and it began to roll down. I gripped my iron shield harder, raised my silver war axe, and charged forward. The dunmer stepped out into the circle and pointed his bow at me. He drew an arrow from his quiver and before I could even see him ready it, it was on it's way toward me.

I covered my chest with my shield, and tip on his arrow knocked against one of the iron slats with a sharp clang. The arrow snapped in half and bounced away into the sand. I clenched my hold on the axe, and raised it over my shoulder, swinging it down toward the dunmer. He dived and rolled to my left, my axe put a crevasse in the sand and bounced off the brick floor. I felt wood slam into the back of my head, he had struck my bluntly with his bow, something I had never seen before.

He was smart all right, I'd give him that. But he could be as smart as he wanted, it didn't matter, he'd still be the one to end up dying in the arena this day. I fell forward, onto one knee from the blow to my unarmored head. I couldn't see very well, everything looked bright, almost white. There was no time to lie down now, I turned as I stood, covering my face and neck with my shield, just in time for another arrow to knock into it and fall away.

With my vision still a little hazy, I could see him nock another arrow with the same speed he had already shown. I had gotten lucky with the last one, but my vision still hadn't come back all the way. I heard the whip of his bowstring and the arrow sailing through the air. It pierced the thin steel plate of my raiment, and dug it's head into my chest. It hurt, of course, but I could take it. It wasn't the first arrow I had ever taken.

I crouched, low to the ground, and covered myself with my shield. As soon as I heard the sound of his bow release, I jumped back and stood. His arrow flew between my legs and slid along the sand to a stop. I felt triumphant in evading his shot entirely, but I quickly realized my fault in moving further away from a ranger. I was not in a good place now, so I decided to take chance, it wasn't smart to gamble when one's life is at stake, but I didn't have many other choices. He had the upper hand right now, and that could mean my death just as well, it was time to turn the tide.

I kept my hand stable, bent my arm at a right angle, and rotated my shoulder so the head of my axe pointed slightly backward. I looked right at my opponent, and flung the axe. It spun beautifully, as though it were made to be thrown. The spike on the back edge dug into his left shoulder and slipped back out, hitting the floor with a sound muffled by the sand. He stumbled backward, gripping his shoulder with the opposite hand, blood seeped through his fingers, it looked vivid against his pale grey skin.

After the axe left my hand, I had already started running toward him. Acting quickly, he tried to kick my axe away, but he ended up digging his sandal through the sand and his foot stopped against the brick. He had now lost his only chance to win, and his fate was sealed. He held his bow diagonally in front of him, the only defense he had against my wrath. I bucked forward with my shield, hitting him hard. His arm buckled against his body, and he lost his footing. The sand he had slipped on provided him no protection as he fell hard on his back against the brick, the back of his head knocking against it as well, making a sound that I could hear even over the crowd.

His bow was broken in half, one piece in the grip of his twisted and broken fingers, the other on the ground above his head. I bent over to grab my axe, and the little bastard rolled to my left, kicking me in the back of the knee as he stopped. My leg collapsed instantly and my knee hit the ground. I could hear him stand and whip a small blade from it's sheath. There was no way I'd let him get to me first. I swung my shield toward him, and stood up and the same time, which added to the force of the attack.

The center of my shield hit him directly in the side of the head, and he staggered to his right side. It was all over now. He swung his dagger wildly in my direction as he tried to regain balance, his last effort to survive. The first swipe made a long splice along my left bicep, and it blood began to leak. I had had plenty of wounds like this in my lifetime, not only from fighting in the arena, it was nothing but a scratch.

I held up my shield, I doubt the bastard could even see anything, much less me. His dagger bounced away from my defense and his broken fingers weren't nearly strong enough to hold onto it. It fell a few feet away with a quiet clatter. He bent over, cringing and whimpering. I stopped to look at him for a moment, he looked pitiful. "May Stendarr have mercy on you, because I certainly won't." I said to him, not bothering to wonder if he could even hear me over the ringing in his ears.

He would die here, with no honor, much unlike a Nord such as I. I lifted my axe high over my head, and the crowd grew louder than they had been all day. As I brought my hand down, the blade dug deep into his hunched back. Releasing the handle, his body fell forward, lifeless. A murder in front of hundreds of people, and all they did was cheer.

I looked down at the poor dunmer's fresh corpse, he had been a man, with a name, maybe a house, maybe a family. He had thrown everything away. And for what? Fame? Fortune? Was anything worth it now? I placed my foot on his head, and grasped the handle of my axe, wrenching it out with one hard tug. Most of the blade was completely covered in blood, and it was splattered about everywhere else, the same blood that seeped from his body and stained the sand.

I turned away and walked to the edge of the arena. As I entered the covering to the bloodworks, the gate shrieked and slid up behind me.

PART I: WELCOME TO THE ARENA

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CHAPTER II: HOME SWEET HOME


Damned Imperials. I'd seen far too many of them in this lifetime. I started blankly at the quartermaster, who gave me a hard slap on my dried wound, and grasped my arm as though we were old friends, reunited. Clearly I wasn't as excited as he was. "That was some damn good fighting gladiator!" My gaze didn't budge, I only had one thing on my mind. "Not that I was watching, but you're alive aint'cha?" His hearty laugh resounded throughout the room. He was loud, too loud, and his overblown chuckle irritated me greatly. It took him longer than I wanted to wait to quit reveling in his own joke. The last thing I cared about was anything this fool had to say. "I know what you're waiting for." He spoke to me as if I were a child, as if he were coaxing me with honey and cakes. I knew he though he was better than me, and whether he was or was not didn't matter to me. He looked at me with his conceited grin and extended his hand.

This was all I had come for. "Here you are, fifty septims. You've earned each one." He held a small burlap sack, tied at the top with a thin rope. I snatched it from him roughly. "Go get yourself cleaned up, and get that looked at." His finger extended, pointing at my chest, I looked down. "Who knows whats on that arrow. Poisons, enchantments, maybe even a disease. You never know what kind of nasty things could be on someone's blades these days." The simple arrow still protruded from my chest, it's point hidden beneath my raiment. "You ought to see a healer." A healer. Right. With the measly sums they payed me to entertain the entire city, I could never afford that.

In my left hand, my shield was strapped, and I held the bag of coins. In the other, my silver war axe. The blood had dried, I would have to clean it, but luckily I could save a few coins, it didn't need to be sharpened. I slipped it's handle through the small loop on my belt. Next, the arrow needed to be attended to. This would be a fairly simple job. With my empty hand, I took hold of the arrow. I've never been one to need to brace myself, or to count down. I wrenched the point from my flesh with a hard tug of the wooden shaft. A trickle of blood spurted through the thin hole in my briastplate, the drops stopping against the quartermaster's cheek.

He blinked abruptly, and his head twitched backward. If I was one to enjoy a little humor, this might have killed me. There was nothing more to say as he wiped the blood from his face with his leather gloved hand. I turned away, and started toward the door, even though I knew he wasn't finished. He had one more thing to say, and I knew exactly what it was before it came. "Same time next week?" I had no doubt that if I were to turn around, his face would wear a snobbish grin. But I didn't stop, I didn't turn, I didn't even respond. He knew what my answer was. I needed to make a living somehow, and I'd never been able to hold a real job in my life, much less could I aspire to a career. The worst part of this was that he knew it. That's why I didn't like him, that's why I didn't like Imperials at all. They were smug, the lot of them, and far too proud for their own good.

As I continued on my way to the door, I realized the arrow was still in my grasp. Holding it closer to my face, I took a look. It was stained in my blood, and I wiped a streak away with my thumb. "Iron." I mumbled, and pitched the worthless tool to the ground. Reaching the top of the bloodworks stairs, I twisted the handle of the door, and pushed it open. It had been only mere minutes, but the bright sun that floated high as I had fought had now disappeared, giving way to the moons. It was cold this night, and a lesser man would have been freezing with nothing but an arena raiment on in this weather. The cold didn't bother me in the least, it was in my blood. Shutting the door behind me, I walked out into the streets. I was just in time to hear the crowd roar from behind me.

The battle in the pit was anything but over. I knew the noises of the crowd, and someone had just taken a brutal strike. Perhaps he was crushed by a warhammer, perhaps he had taken a nasty cut from his opponent's blade. Their fate didn't matter to me, perhaps one of them would be the victim of my next payment. I watched the ground as I walked, as I knew the way step by step. The city's scenery couldn't interest me any less, there was nothing new to be seen. Passing through a large open doorway, I knew I was entering the Arboretum. The cobblestone beneath my feet all looked the same, just like the 'wondrous' ayleid architecture of the Imperial City.

Under the next doorway, I was now in the temple district. I had walked this way many nights of my life, and If I had bothered to look around during any one of them, by now I would be able to point out every crack in the temple walls. The streets were almost silent, all of the citizens were inside their homes, and the only others about were the patrolling watch. I took the corner to my left, and soon enough I was passing through the large doors to the waterfront. "Evening, citizen." The watchman said to me as I passed him. With nothing to say, I gave no response and continued through the tunnel.

Some say the waterfront is beautiful in the moonlight. I say it smells like rats, beggars, and drunks. The breeze blew softly over the calm waters, and carried the smell of the sea with it. I kept my pace, around the tower, across the bridge, and to the left. Before I knew it, the door of the galleon inn stood in front of me. The sign to my side read "The Bloated Float." Home sweet home.

dude thats an amazing stury

Thanks for the praise mate, there's more coming soon.

One thing I will point out is the use of the word.... "word"

I count five in as many sentences and just reading it once makes the word ( ) lose all meaning.

Other than that, it looks like a decent story so far, but if I may mention one thing, is to not make him uber-gladiator from the movie Gladiator good. Or, if you must, than give him some sort of weakness or connecting point for the reader to better get in touch with the character.

You won't even have to worry about that friendo.

On a related note, I'll have chapter 3 up before I go to bed. If not, then tomorrow morning. Unless something unexpected and tragic happens. So I won't make any definite promises, but I hate waiting on fanfics and RP's just as much as the next guy, so I do my best to keep my word. xD

PART I: WELCOME TO THE ARENA

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CHAPTER III: THE PROPOSITION


The inside of the ship may have smelled even worse than the waterfront outside. Unfortunately, the salty smell of the waters was no longer there to mask the stench. If I had a choice, I'd stay anywhere other than here, but Ormil let me stay on five gold a night, thanks to my long-term residence and my participation in the arena. He loved the fights just as much as any other citizen. I definitely got what I payed for here. The room was cramped, the bunk was hard, the ship swayed and creaked in the wind, and the smell could kill a Khajiit. Lodging here was the only way I could rent a room each night, and still be able to eat until my next fight. One day I'd be able to stay somewhere else, but first I needed to obtain a higher rank, gladiator wasn't cutting it, I needed to make more money. Then maybe I'd be able to stay somewhere decent, and as much as I wished, those days had not yet come, so here I was.

The usual patrons could all be found in their usual place around the inn, the only faces I didn't recognize were a few men sitting around a circular table. Three of them, to be exact. It was unusual to see a new face around here, though not unheard of. I had seen travelling groups around here from time to time. Each of the three men looked busy indulging in their spirits. The first of them was a smaller man, a Breton. He wore leather, save for a helmet, and his jet black hair was cropped short and covered slightly by a blue bandanna. His haircut almost made him look like legionnaire, he was a man of action to be sure. The next was an Imperial, leaning back in his chair with a tankard of ale. He was clad in a suit of iron. Rather than gauntlets or bracers, he wore wrist irons, which almost made him look like a prisoner. A four-sided mace rested on the table in front of him. The last was an Argonian, and an odd looking one to boot. There was a distinct curve in his knees, and his feet were long, and bore claws. He wore a suit of chain mail, his feet bare, and with a black hood in place of a helmet. In front of him sat an exotic piece of weaponry, a crossbow.

It seemed as though the Imperial was staring at me as I walked in. He said something to the Breton, who responded with a simple nod. They didn't hold my attention for long as I walked toward Ormil, who greeted me with a smile. "I hear you fought a dunmer today. They say it was a great fight." Ormil said as I approached, I just nodded as I rolled the string over the top of my bag of coins. He extended his palm, and I shook five septims out into it, his fingers closing around his small fortune. "You know where the key is." The young Altmer said, still smiling. With tonight's transaction finished, I closed the bag, wrapped the rope back around the top, and turned toward my room.

Before I even took one step, I heard an unfamiliar voice from behind me. "Rothgaur? Rothgaur the Red?" Now who could that be? I turned around to see the leather-clad Breton gazing up at me. "Yes, it is you." Please, by Azura, not another fan. "I saw you're fight today," The exact words I didn't want to hear. "That was some impressive fighting." Annoyed, I glared down at the short young man. I took no pride in my work as a combatant, and it annoyed me greatly when others gave me praise for it. "Shove off, I don't need any fans." I had hopes that he would be easily dismissed, but they were crushed as he chuckled half-heartedly.

"Look, I can see you're a straightforward man, so I won't dance around the point." He was observant, I'd give him that. "I have a sort of business proposition, if you will. Let me introduce myself, my name is Lorren Argis, my companions and I," With his head, he motioned to his table-full of cronies. "We're adventurers, and we could really use someone like you." His promise of sticking to the point had proved to be anything but true. Still, what he had to say intrigued me. "Go on." I ordered him bluntly, folding my arms. "Right," He began again. "You see, we recently lost a friend of ours, Luzrun gro-Morth. He was a large fellow, an Orc. I won't get into it, but the fact is, we need someone like you to replace him. You're strong, you can fight, and I'm willing to bet you've got enough courage for the both of us. I can guarantee that you'll make more money than you ever will in the arena." After what seemed like ages, he was finally finished. "So, what do you say?" He looked up at me expectantly. I thought for a moment, and then gave him the first response that came to mind.

"Not on your life." The confident look faded from his face as quick as I had turned down his offer to recruit me. "Right, well, if you change your mind, I'll be staying in the room across the way. My companions will likely be at the table all night." With the final word, he turned away from me and walked briskly toward his room, and I did the same. Opening the door, I rubbed my eyes, and tossed the shield from my arm onto the bed. At the head of the bead, I reached under the pillow and fished around for a quick second, until I found the small key and took it from it's place. With a loud yawn, I went back to the door, and locked it. I tossed the key onto my pants, which were folded and sitting on the small bedside table, and sat down on the bed.

The Breton's offer began to turn over and over in my mind as I removed each piece of my raiment, placing them on the floor next to my bed. An adventurer. Not once in my life had the thought even crossed my mind. As I finished undressing, I grabbed my shield and placed it on the ground, leaning against the side of the bed. Scratching my head, I yawned again, and lay back on the hard bunk.

My body was sore and exhausted from battle, and I was tired just from having been awake. I lay still, and hours passed by, deeper and deeper into the night, yet I could not sleep. An adventurer. A life on the road, a life as a nomad. An existence with plenty of gold, and nothing but adventure. I would see foreign lands, battle exotic monsters, plunder caverns, and those were only a few things in the world of possibilities. This was exactly what I had always wanted, something new, the next big thing. Best of all, I wouldn't have to risk my life just to keep it every week in the arena, and I wouldn't have to live in this dirty hole anymore.

I couldn't take it anymore, I had made my decision. Feeling around the table next to my bunk, I grabbed the key and my pants. Standing up, I pulled on the rough brown sleeves, and made my way to the door in the dark. I fumbled with the lock for a moment, as it was almost impossible to find one's way with the key with no light. Eventually the key slid into the lock, and turned in my fingers, and I pulled the door open. The main room was dark, but the small lanterns still burned, giving off a faint light. The Imperial and the lizard were both asleep in their chairs, laying upon the table. I walked lightly across the way, and came upon the door to the other room.

I pounded against the door with the bottom of my fist three times, and I could hear the muffled noises of Lorren jumping out of bed and relinquishing a blade. "Wh-Who's there?" He asked, fatigue resounding throughout his voice. "Rothgaur." Was my reply. "Rothgaur...?" He was puzzled. "Oh, yes. Rothgaur, Rothgaur the Red." The blade slid back into it's sheath. "What can I do for you?" My response went straight to the point. "I want in." I could almost feel his smile beam through the old wooden door. "Great, you start in the morning. Now go get your rest."

What's done was done, and there was no turning back. And with Lorren's dismissal, I headed to my room, and stepped inside, locking the door behind me. I lied down upon the hard bed, and put the key back on the side table. A new life began for me in the morning, I shut my eyes, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

Things may be a stand-still for awhile whilst the next chapter is in production. As soon as a few ideas make their way to me, I'll get right on it. I'll do my best to keep the wait as short as possible, but I won't be cranking out two chapters a day for a bit until I get the plot back on track.

Long story short, it may be a few a days, hopefully not, but I'll make the next chapter good.

So far, I've got nothing. I've tried to get a start on the next chapter four times now, but it just isn't good. I need some time for ideas. In the mean time, feedback is always appreciated. *winkwink*

heres some feedback i want you to put out part four I NEED IT LIKE I NEED FALLOUT NEW VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well then, it's nice to know that you're reading.
And yes, I know I've really been slacking on chapter 4, but I'm really having trouble bridging the gap from now to where I want the story to go.
I'll keep trying to crack down on it, and hopefully come up with something soon.

GRrrrrrrrrrrrr....... bliviongate:

its been four days! O_o

I'm aware. Be patient, I'm sorry things aren't working for you in this respect.

11 days you need to make it you little procrastinator >.>

This is very good, keep up the good work.

Also, ignore the impatient people and take your time

I can't write anythings when I have no ideas, you can't really blame me.
And besides, you can't really demand anything from me over the internet, so you may as well stop trying.

Thanks for the review man, good to know that you like it.

Alright everybody, Chapter 4 is in the works, the wait will be over soon. Sorry for the ridiculous amount of time it took.