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 Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 2:42 pm
The arena is located on the third level of the city. While not built to the Roman scale, it is quite sizeable, visible from outside the city walls. It seats over six thousand, the majority of the seats being bench. A small portion of the arena is dedicated to boxes which are owned by elven families who helped finance the arena's construction and can only be opened by authorized persons. The bench seats are free to all.
As the arena is open, it's subject to the weather. There are cloth sun awnings to deal with the heat, shading 50% of the arena on average. They do little to stop rain; if the clouds are grey and you want to attend, best bring an umbrella. Matches continue through any weather. Cleanup of the arena is managed by civic slaves and servants; box owners are responsible for the care of their own areas.
Gambling can be found in every corner of the arena. Plenty of bookies are ready to service any level of bet. Bookies must be licensed and registered with arena officials; anyone caught illegally taking bets is thrown into the city jail for a week.
There's a fight going on at any given time during the day. The arena is open as long as the sun is out.
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Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 1:42 pm
((Figure I might as well bring Aleric's fights here.))
His third fight, Miranda thought, calmly bringing the glass to her lips as the large bear bestial walked into the ring. His opponent was reported to be a knife weilder this time. A killer.
"You going to bet on him now, Lady Miranda?" One of the men in the box asked, sounding smug. "I'll enjoy collecting my gold as he's dying."
"He won't lose." She replied calmly, crossing her legs and turning to look down at the arena. "I chose him, after all."
******************
The scent of blood wasn't an unfamiliar one. Aleric himself had drawn blood before, or bled in a fight... but it was slightly unusual to smell it drifting off of his opponent BEFORE the fight began. He scowled slightly, looking the cat bestial over carefully as he drew his sword. The cat's movements were lazy, as if he didn't really expect this to be a problem.
Then he looked at Aleric, and Aleric paused, feeling something strange rush through his veins. Something he hadn't felt this strongly in a long time. Fear.
But he wasn't going to lose this fight. He had the feeling that this would be the only vengeance some fighters would ever get. Then the cat spoke.
"So how do you want to die?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:43 am
The box seat that Edgar had secured use of for Tessa and Alcion wasn't very large, nor in the best view of the battles, but it was certainly in a better spot than the milling masses were able to get without standing in line all day.
The bard had arrived early, her belt pouch considerably lighter after paying off the man who arranged the place for her. Edgar had been true to his word, his contacts letting him pass on a request and quite a bit of coin to the human steward of the box owner. A greased palm was the only thing necessary to determine that the box's owners would not attend the arena battles today, and a scrawled note authorizing use of the space by the visiting noble and his entourage.
The bard set down a heavy basket and began to spread out cushions, furs, and blankets over the seats and other furnishings. Fresh cut flowers were set into vases nearest where Alcion would settle, masking some of the acrid scents of blood, and death, and sweat from his nose. An easel was carried in by an urchin she'd paid to help her, and set up by his seat, leaving him full view of the battles but near enough at hand for him to sketch or paint what he saw. A bowl of fruit was placed near his drawing and painting implements on a small table.
Satisfied that all was in order, the urchin was paid his coin and Tessa set about making herself a comfortable spot to sit in. She piled less fancy cushions on a bench and set her lute beside her. Then she leaned her arms on the box rail and peered down at the arena below.
Squinting, she didn't need a spyglass to realize it was the bear bestial preparing to fight below. "Fortunate timing..." she murmured to herself.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 9:50 am
So how do you want to die? Arrogant b*****d...
"Not by your hands." Aleric replied, showing his teeth as he motioned for the cat to come forward.
"Then you had better be prepared for disappointment." The cat replied, lunging forwad. Aleric blocked, barely managing to keep from being skewered. The steel hit steel, clanging loudly as they circled, neither backing down. The cat was fast, Aleric thought, scowling slightly. But even he couldn't stand to the force of a full grown bear bestial's blows.
Right as he thought that the cat bestial slipped past his defenses, cutting across his chest and leaving a long, thin slice in Aleric's leather like breastplate.
A small trickle of blood dripped down Aleric's chest, making him growl slightly as he forced himself to ignore the pain.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 12:08 pm
Tessa winced as the cat bestial made the slash across Aleric's chest. "That looks unpleasant at best..." she muttered. She glanced down under the bench and drew out the contraption the box owners used to magnify the action below. Setting the glasses to her eyes, she focused in on the combat. Seeing the blood up close made her flinch slightly. "That's going to leave a mark..." she murmured under her breath.
"Come on Aleric! Give him what for!!!" She howled from the box, pumping her fist in the air like so many other spectators. Idly she mused how many of them were actually rooting for a combatant to do well, and how many were just shrieking to see blood spilled.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 12:21 pm
The crowd was roaring, but all Aleric could hear was the thudding of his heart against his ribs in a slow, deep rhythm. And all he could see was the cat bestial in front of him, heading straight for him. The blade was aimed at the right angle to cut Aleric's head off, or at least slit his throat.
"Now to finish this." The cat growled, starting his swing. Aleric ducked, then slammed forward, tackling the cat to the ground with the full weight of his four hundred plus pounds of muscle. He grabbed the hand holding the knife and slammed it into the ground, hearing the bones crack loudly enough to echo through the arena, had the crowd not been cheering so loudly.
Then he took his own sword, bringing the edge to the cat bestial's throat, watching as it bit through hair into flesh, blood dripping down the silver of his blade.
"Do you give." Aleric asked, his voice frozen with rage, his eyes a dark, dark shade of brown. "Do you GIVE?"
"Y--yes, dammit." The cat bestial hissed, glaring at him. "Now get off of me." Aleric grunted, letting the cat bestial go and getting to his feet. Then he turned, looking at the elf in the boxes once again.
"I'll kill you!" The cat said from behind him, making him turn in surprise.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 12:57 pm
Tessa cringed back in the box as the cat bestial charged, murmuring urgent words of dodging or fleeing uselessly under her breath, completely drowned out by the crowd in it's wild throes at witnessing seemingly imminent death.
"Bloody hell, Aleric...get out of..." The crowd sighed in collective relief and disappointment as the bear bestial turned the tables on the feline. The ursine's victory resulted in a jubilant yelp from the bard. A short lived yelp as the defeated creature turned on the ursine murderously.
"Hey! That's not right! That b*****d LOST!" she yowled over the sound of the nearest patrons.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:06 pm
Aleric growled, moving quickly as the cat lunged forward, grabbing him by the shirt and flipping him as he sent him flying. Then he cursed, falling to his knee even as the cat hit the wall. His hand reached up to his chest, touching the blood.
Aleric raised his hand, looking at the blood for a second. It wasn't enough to make him feel-- He shook his head, shoving himself to his feet and heading for the exit. He didn't care what happened to this fighter. He had no honor.
"You should have killed him." One of the men he passed said, making him blink and look over. "He's killed every fighter he's faced. They don't die in the ring, though. They die afterwards. Something on his blade keeps the wound from closing." The man glanced pointedly at his chest.
"Not magic." Aleric grunted. There was a barrier against that.
"Doesn't haveta be."
Aleric nodded grimly, heading off to find a healer. If anything he could get someone to sew him up. Thankfully it was a shallow cut.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:17 pm
The bard drew out a bound book of blank parchment and dipped a quill in ink to begin scribing a few notes about the conflict, even as she continually gazed down at it through the glasses. "Ah, this has the makings of an epic tale, of the noble warrior versus the violent coward."
She frowned at the exchange she could disern between the ursine and another man. She couldn't read lips from so far, and couldn't tell if he was chiding or warning Aleric about something.
"Too bad Alcion missed this. I think he'd have liked to have sketched it."
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 2:17 pm
Miranda leaned back, smirking slightly. She hadn't bothered to shout, or even show her anxiety, but she had found herself leaning forward slightly when the cat attacked after defeat. Such a good fight, she thought, taking a sip of her drink before glancing over at one of the men in the box.
"He was your... champion?" She asked, almost cooing. "I'm so... sorry for you."
The man cursed, glaring at her darkly before shoving himself to his feet and leaving. Then Miranda stood, heading out of the box to the area where the fighters were cleaned up. It was a miniature hospice of some sorts. It smelled like blood and bandages, she thought her nose scrunching for just a second. Then she looked around, catching sight of the bear sitting on one of the benches, his shirt off, revealing the cut across his chest.
... That wasn't good... She frowned, wondering if it would keep him from fighting more.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:30 pm
((For the shake of my sanity... this'll be after Alcion and Spade's going-ons at the market...))
Alcion was the master of being late. Weither it was because of drawings, reading a book, writing, or flat-out wandering, it was rare for the elven noble to ever be on time at anything. This occasion was no exception the rule, as it was only then that he made his way inside, sketchbook under his arm, and the vial containing what Spade had made earlier attached to his belt, as he silently made his way trough the crowd, reaching the box set where Tessa was at.
"Sorry, I got carried away into something..." He said, sitting beside her. "Is your voice feeling any better, Tessa ?" Worry was not hidden at all.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 7:08 pm
Spade wandered into the arena and soon overheard about the last match that had happened. And something about the loser always killed his opponents after the matches were already over. She was a bit puzzled with this and talked to some of the people running the Arena for information. She found out a bit and soon was directed to the healing area. Maybe she could talk to one of the people running the area to find out more about what is going on, and maybe if they ahd enough time to spare, they could maybe help her with her quest for Brum.
Though as she was wondering around, most people were to busy with someone who had fought or running an errend she didn't want to bother anyone.
It wasn't hard to spot the bear beastial. He was almost twice her height, and he wasn't looking so well. She wondered why anyone wasn't helping him, for he had a clear cut across his chest that was bleeding. After a few tried to get someone, she gave up. Heading over to him, she cleared her throught to not suprise the warrior beastial.
"Forgive me for coming over like this, but you aren't looking so well, is anyone helping you? Are you waiting for them to get supplies or something?"
She asked him. If he was being seen, that was good. if not, she was not going to just stand still while someone was bleeding to death.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 7:11 pm
"I uh... was cut." Aleric muttered, flushing slightly. He felt like an idiot for bothering over such a small nick. But the bleeding had yet to stop, and he was a quick healer. He reached down, fingering the blood and bringing it to his nose. "And it doesn't smell right." He finished, wondering if she would understand what he meant.
Miranda watched silently. She needed to know that her champion was going to make it. She had a lot of gold running on this tournament, after all. And she had heard stories of the cat bestial's victims.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 7:28 pm
Oddly, her face scrunched up as she leaned over a bit closer trying to inspect the cut without invading his space to much before he allowed her. But something didn't see right. It was a shallow cut, but it was bleeding more then it should be. And he said it smelled funny. This was puzzling her. She looked up at him and bowed her head.
"If you don't mind, I would like to look you over. But I don't want to do so without your permission. May I?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 7:42 pm
He blinked. "Um... sure. Do you want me to take my pants off?" He asked, looking confused. She was a healer, sure, but she was also really young. But when she asked permission he figured it was to look at the things he had covered.
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