Into the Arena District

If there was one good place where the guild could spar with others, it was in Freeport's Arena District. With its Coliseum as its centerpiece, people of all classes can pay their way in, and see some gladiatorial combat. Not surprisingly, temples and healer lodges had been built around the coliseum, allowing for a relatively prompt and efficient healing process for the gladiators. There was also a mortuary nearby, to take the bodies of slain gladiators, predatory animals, or convicts that had been sentenced to either fight for their freedom, or be executed.

In a gated part of the district, blacksmiths, leatherworkers, and clothiers made up half of the people that lived there. The other half were champion gladiators, who had earned such privileges to come from the underground lairs underneath the coliseum, and live on the surface. Out of such gladiators, most of them were well-experienced men, who have survived to live into their 30's and beyond; and they had either married trophy wives, or the few rare female champion gladiators.

Cesar, though, had one particular female gladiator in mind. Bred of an Amazon woman, and a Northman, Jasmine Cathari had struggled to find acceptance for her particular mixed breeding. After all, her parents virtually gave up everything they had growing up, except their heritage, so that they could run off and marry in Freeport. Growing up was made even harder for her, when her parents died in battle, and noone had wanted to adopt her. So she ended up in the coliseum, where she trained to be a gladiator. While her Amazon heritage gave her size, strength, and a fiery, passionate heart; her Northman heritage gave her finesse, grace, and a fierce and proud mentality.

Jasmine had recently earned her right to live on the surface after years of successful matches in the arena, and she had her first match at the age of 15. Now she was 21, and while she hardly had friends, she did made herself self-sufficient. When Cesar saw her rather small cottage, with her own blacksmith & leatherworking shop, he found her keeping her skills sharp. He watched her muscled body work, as she gripped her flamberge sword, and did her various swings, jabs, and feints. Her full mop of blonde hair flowed down her back, her skirts--a mix of scale mail and leather, flowed in her wake. Leaning to one side of the entrance, he watched her train, seeing some of her battle scars on her back and sides. He caught a glimpse of her light blue eyes, full lips as she grunted, and leg muscles that showed themselves, if they weren't covered by her leg plates and leather boots that were seemingly high-heeled. Then there was her torso--a set of piercings lined her belly button vertically, adding flair to her muscled abdomen. Most of all, there was her 36dd breasts, breasts that were full and real pleasant to touch because of her Amazon heritage. Since her bikini-like leather top was all she had covering it, he could see hints of her large nipples. Eventually, Jasmine spotted him, giving him a smile, as she put her flamberge sword in her scabbard. She had not seen him or any members of the guild for the last year, as she had been training with other weapons, and using them well in the arena.

"Cesar, come in!" Jasmine called out to him. "I've heard of what happened in your last adventure. You and your guild got people talking about it in the taverns."

"Yes, and the influx of refugees, and the presence of a Succubus have been visual evidence, no doubt." Cesar responded, walking to within a close enough distance of her. "I hope Valnora didn't give the registrar a hard time."

"I've heard nothing bad came out from there in her presence." Jasmine smiled. "Although I wonder if she's heard about me fighting one of her kind recently in the arena, challenging the mage that summoned him. The psychotic mage almost lost control of it, but I managed to banish the poor lad, and then sliced the mage's head off at the audience's request."

"I'm sure she'll know about it eventually." Cesar nodded. "Hopefully, she'll accept it, and move on. Cat is capable enough of keeping her calm."

"Good." Jasmine smiled, and walked over so that she could kiss him on the lips. "I was hoping you'd come this evening. I have a big arena fight coming up, one that would determine whether or not I fully earn my freedom from the arena, and fully restore my mixed heritage, and held inheritance."

"Who's your opponent?" Cesar asked her.

"None other than the champion warrior, who has been holding my inheritance in a vault." Jasmine looked to him. "Ezilund was the one who made me a gladiator in the first place. Now he has fallen on hard times."

"Yes, I've heard." Cesar nodded. "His wife died giving birth to a son, and then his son died from an accident at the market district. I can understand why he would want to do this."

"He is still one of the finest arena champions still living, and I've been training so hard for it." Jasmine looked to him. "My 'Day of Reckoning' is close. I will either regain my inheritance and status, or die in combat. Now that you're here, I want to enjoy the more womanly things in life, while I still have time to live."