Chains and Bonds (Humble X Moonstone)

[HumbleDragoness]

The cheer of the crowd was loud and boisterous, several fights had already taken place and it had the patrons giddy with the money that was being made from the bets. Slave fighting was outlawed in the entirety of the empire but out on the fringes it thrived, people and creatures were bought and sold here, used for entertainment for the rich and corrupt.
The air was hot and dusty and stank of rot and blood from the arena.

The City or Benga was hardly worth the name, it really was just a place for merchants and slavers to gather before leaving the empire to the Wilds or the Kal straits.
Tayra stood in the side cage, waiting for her turn to be put into the arena, maybe today was the day she would die to some foe or beast, maybe not, it was just another fight, the world would continue either way. She held a heavy Morningstar in her right hand and a small metal buckler strapped to her left arm. She was focused on her calm, trying as she always did to use a little of her magic, but…nothing, the crystals that were being used were sapping any magic, to keep the fights fair and the participants in check, they could have mages running loose here after all.

Her attention was drawn to the door as it opened and two guards came in leading someone else, a Dragonborn maybe? She didn’t have long to wonder as one of the guard came over and placed a metal belt around Tayras waist, ah so it was to be one of those fights then. They finished by chaining them together about 10 feet apart, then the guards exited.
Tayra looked at the smaller woman “are you a fighter?” She asked, in a neutral tone, she wanted to see if this one would fight or just be dead weight.

 

[Marshmallow-Minnow]

Nessie was still fruitlessly fighting the guards, her heels dug into the stonework as she leaned back at a near 45 degrees angle. Her bright cyan claws opened and closed, trying tp scratch but the captors knew better than to let the one of only two dangerous things about this particular catch get within striking distance of them.

The ruby haired draconic woman finally stopped making skid marks along the flooring when her destination was brought, watching as she was chained to a figure well over a foot taller than her, broad and looking like her very shadow might consume the half-drake.

Fuck.

Nessie's spectacled gaze darted back as the two guards left, her hands haphazardly grasping the manacles that anchored their waists together and only turned back around with a gasp when the verdant skinned one spoke.

She stared, and blinked a couple times.

She lifted her scaled hands, the brilliant blushishe scales clearly dragon, but with it's watery lineage resembled that of smooth fish as well, gesturing to herself in a comical sort of panic up and down her mostly soft and curvy self, the only hints of strength being in her legs and possibly claws, though more from natural born bloodline traits as opposed to technically skills, "Uh, -no-, No I'm not." Her owl eyed gaze went from the orc woman to the entrance she had been brought through before she tilted her head upward, her small fin ears hearing the roar of a crowd, the delight in the sound sickening her. Nessie's mind had already put two and two together, this being the nightmarish bedtime story non-human parents told their children as a warning to 'behave or the Citizens Of Benga would come get you', but with a gulp, she still found herself asking anyway, hoping, begging, to be wrong, her winter face crestfallen, "W-Where are we?"

 

[HumbleDragoness]

The Orc could tell just from sizing up the other woman that she wasn’t a fighter, she was too soft, too few scars. When she confirmed her suspicions it made her sigh, this poor woman was just meant to die for the show. “We are in the arena, in Benga, our fight is about to begin.”

She hung her Morningstar from her belt then held up her hands in front of her and closed her eyes “I will send a prayer for you little one.” Tayra didn’t know if her goddess ever heard her prayers but it helped make feel more at ease for all the death she caused. “Here, take this.” She said after she lowered her arms, she removed the buckler and offered it to the dragon kin “it should offer some protection.”

The roars of the crowd grew louder as the announcer shouted “And now ladies and gentlemen, we come to our main event! Fighters from every corner have been brought her today, in a glorious match to see who stands above the rest! I hope you have chosen your champions wisely and may your bets be fruitful today, so without further ado…” there was a moment of quiet and trumpets began to blare, then the gate in front of them started to open wide, the noise increased dramatically.

“Stay close to me” she urged as she started walking forward into the arena, it was probably a false hope, but Tayra could at least try to help keep her bond partner alive.

 

[Marshmallow-Minnow]

As Nessie's eyes closed, and a person could almost see just from her face that her heart had fallen down into her stomach when her chained-cell mate had confirmed the worst, confirmed what the half-drake already knew.
Her azure owl-eyes glanced around, her chest beginning to rise and fall in a more anxious beat as the reality was weighing down on her shoulders like the ceiling was falling on her.

"A prayer huh?" She echoed, her mind drifting away in her stunned state, sounding more like she was musing to herself as opposed to responding, "Well, suppose only the gods -could- help now huh?"
Her aquatic cyan claws drifted up as though subconscious, taking the plate looking shield and looking up to the ebondy haired forced-gladiator.
She didn't know what else to do, and so, she chuckled, mournfully, a bitter sweet smile on her lips as she held the round scrap of metal in a way that she assumed was 'proper', not really sure how she was supposed to wield it, "Thank you, umm, yea, I'll just...try not to die, and then deal with the existential dread later. Good, great, sure."

The trek began, and Nessie immediately sped up, the chain dragging in-between them as she stood directly behind her un-named fighting partner, muttering, "Uh, yea, no problem there. Literally -right- behind you. Plan to stay there."

The uprise of cheers as they got closer to the blinding light of the open gate, started to...shift?

Clapping began to sound more like slashing or clattering noises, and roars of enthusiasm shifted to what sounded like screeching yells. It sounded frantic and primal.
There wasn't much time to contemplate before they stepped into the light, and into the chaos.

Among the pews there were bodies, some running and scrambling...some laid down surrounded by crimson.

Guards were going against a plethora of beings. Minotaurs, tieflings, full dragon borns, even aarakocra and etc. remnants of chains still on their wrists but somehow both outside of the ring and outside of any cage.

Rebellion.

"Uuuuuuh," Nessie peeked her rosy head out from the side of the orc woman, buckler still oddly held up in her hands by her collar with her eyes brows raised and her expression stupefied by the scene, "You've been here for a long time right? Is this normal?" Not really seeming to yet catch on to exactly what she was seeing, though she had always assumed the people in the benches -weren't- supposed to be a part of the battle.

 

[HumbleDragoness]

Tayras brow furrowed as she heard the change in noise as well “no, this is..” her head snapped up and she stepped to the side just as a guards body landed where she had been, a feral grin spread on her face and she gripped her weapon with eager energy. “C’mon” she said as she stared out to get a better view.

It was utter chaos, one could hardly tell who was friend or foe, though it seemed the fighters were solely focused on the guards and nobility. She spotted the section that her owner usually occupied and saw that it was under heavy attack, though the specially trained guards were holding their own, she didn’t even think, starting to stomp her way to join the fight.

Over to the side a few goblins were hacking and smashing their weapons against a rather large crystal that was glowing, if they broke it, the magic contained within would escape quite violently.

Tayra took on a few guards that charged her with spears, she showed no mercy as she smashed the first spear with her Morningstar then grabbed the second, she ripped the weapon from the guards hands then turned int before spearing him through the chaser and into his partner, she spat on their corpses as she continued to make her way towards the fight she wanted.

 

[Marshmallow-Minnow]

Nessie's expression went from confounded to near disturbed as the untamed simper spread across that verdant face and the cardinal-haired one wasn't quite fast enough, blurting, "C'mon? C'mon -where?-" The chain attached to them yanked her smaller self forward, feet stumbling as she tried not to fall on her face.

For a moment she simply scurried behind, both because, well, she had to, and because she hoped perhaps she spotted the exit nearby.

"Oh shit!" Nessie ducked as something came flying at her, and when she glanced at the side she saw a severed hand on the ground, or, what looked like the remnants off one.

Oh gods, it moved, oh, ugh, ew.

Though, then she looked forward, and suddenly, the violence exploded further right in front of her.

Her eyes bulged enough to look even more owl-like beneath her spectacles and from the hardened stare forward and the b-line of this tusk-toothed woman's gate, it occurred to her that escape was not the first thing on her mind.

A chill went down her spine and she, in a panic, reacted.

Her diminutive cyan and ivory form rushed around her and skidded to a stop, arms out stretched and trying to maybe get her to stop, "What are you doing?" She clapped her hands, not trying to be rude but just, erratic in nature, "What are you doing?"
Both of her hands pointed away, mostly horizontal to her shoulders, "I feel like-I feel like we're missing a pretty big opportunity here. Kinda seems like, I dunno, feel like a bit of escaping might be the move here?? Instead of," Her jewel like visage briefly glanced down to the bloody weapon still in the massive hand, then back up to her face, lips in a tight line of unsureness but trying to keep her resolve, "Instead of whatever you're thinking...No offense."

 

[HumbleDragoness]

The Orc stopped for a moment, looking down at the woman “I have waited years for a chance like this, he has kept me in a cage for years!” She wanted to sidestep her and rush in, but knew the chain would be an issue, if she got killed then she would be dragging around a body.

The fighting started to shift as more guards started to arrive and the fighters were overwhelmed, Tayra could see how it would end, she would die needlessly and still not achieve her goal. Her hands tightened on her weapon as she accepted what couldn’t be changed “fine, where should we go?” She looked around, they had been unfortunate, they and the other fighters who were in the arena couldn’t get out.

Then there was sudden flash behind Nessie and an explosion resulted, the goblins had broken the crystal leaving a large hole in the wall. “Ahhh!” Tayra stumbled as the light blinded her and she dropped to a knee. Spots danced in her sight and she could hardly see anything, the flash had affected her so badly because she had been looking right at it.

 

[Marshmallow-Minnow]

Nessie's expression was sympathetic, but not quite as much as it probably usually would be considering she was rather drastically still distracted by the absolute anarchy that swirled around them, splashes of scarlet continuously painting the benches.

"Ok well, then this is the perfect time yea? Leave so you aren't put in a cage again, yes?" She said urgently but delicately, the heavy statement the green warrior said holding a tubs worth of mournful insinuation that the scaled humanoid wanted to be considerate of, all while, well, also being sure to keep a hold on that pesky 'not dying' thing that was at the cusp of every single second.

She exhaled deeply in partial relief and her arms dropped when with gritted teeth the other inquired where they should go.

Nessie went into the full 'flight' or her 'fight or flight' instincts, hands flapping around her shoulders as her head began to weave about like it was on a spindle, "Right, ok, where to go, where to go, uuuuuuh."

The sound of glass breaking, glass the the size of a barrel, followed by a light force of energy and brightness, the aforementioned explosion, had Nessie's arms wrapped around her head, stumbling as her smaller form had even less chance of resisting the force, but when she sat up her eye sight was not impeded, and somehow, her spectacles left un-shattered as she turned to the goblins whom had caused the havoc, her hands up as in her dizzied nerves she called out to them, "I- WHY? What could that -possibly- accomplish??" She frowned, wondering, then pointed her hand at them in a chopping motion and then the broken object, "wait...-was- that supposed to accomplish something?"

She waited, a bit frozen, and hoped that they spoke common as she didn't know the native language of most goblins.

 

[HumbleDragoness]

Tayras eyes watered as she blinked but still couldn’t see more then spots. “It stopped magic from working in the arena” she groaned and got up unsteadily. She had to keep her eyes closed or she would start to feel nauseous. The goblins started cackling madly and started throwing fire spells everywhere, the little beasts had added even more to the chaos and now the guards were having a hard time trying to control everything.

The Orc blindly reached out to find Nessie and took hold of her arm “I can’t see right now, I need you to lead me to any door you can find, there should be one on the far side of the arena that goes to the beast pens, we can get out through there” the fire was catching and the arena was starting to burn, they wouldn’t have much time.

 

[Marshmallow-Minnow]

Nessie frowned over at Tayra as she answered, her arms still up in a slightly accusatory fashion towards the goblins as they went about their merry discordant way, wondering how the green fleshed woman had such vast instincts she had known what the half-draconic had been speaking about, but then again, maybe she had spotted the goblins in the first place before the succeeded?

Nessie certainly hadn't until it was too late, But, she was also a bit busy with not wanting to be pulled by a leash into a brawl towards some of the folk at fault for the imprisonment, so...that was fair.

She flinched, her tail swishing like a whip when Tayra managed to latch her hand around the owl-eyed drake's forearm, again, surprised by the accuracy as she had just come to a stand after the explosion...oh wait, the chain, right, obviously.

Gods she was just buzzing with anxiety.

The buxom blue scaled maiden placed her claw over that verdant palm and huffed, trying not to have a gods damn panic attack, "Oh yea, sure, no problem...fuckin, -easy-." Her sarcasm wasn't pointed at her large companion, more so at the situation itself.

Nessie began to lead Tayra forward, her eyes wide like saucers as she side stepped a flame, or ducked from a near by sword swinging, just trying to look inconspicuous somehow, but, simply not joining in the battle seemed to be good enough...until the got to the gate, and a lone guardsman came rushing out, looking straight on at the would-be-escapees.
Nessie had something akin to a 'hand caught in the cookie jar' expression, but, with more 'my life is at risk' twinge to it.

He reached for his sword and, with little else to do, Nessie lunged forward and grabbed for it as well, though instead of pulling it out, she pushed it back in, her talons sinking into his flesh, "Nooo need for that!" The guard reared back to punch her, and so, she tugged at his arm and head-butt him.

Thank gods his helmet had fallen off in the ruckus, though, it still really fucking hurt, though it seemed to hurt him slightly more because as their heads bounced off one another she was able to regain equilibrium enough to take her palm and ram it into the underside of his chin, causing him to vote his tongue and fall backwards.

She blinked in disbelief, blood running down her forehead and over the left side of her nose, "...That worked.." before she sprang back to life, yanking Tayra by the wrist and pulling her along into the tunnel with a freaked out, "Run! Run! RUN!