<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/dMcPEtU.png)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/qEWd1AK.jpg)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/CqzuXkI.png)</div><br/>Ebony nodded and the pair set off down well manicured streets that seemed rather empty, but not totally deserted at this time of night.  Those who were about seemed to be moving with purpose, much as the paladin and drow were right now.  Ebony's voice was soft and low, but loud enough for Tialyn to hear without having to strain.  It was no doubt a practiced skill, to project one's voice exactly as far as needed without broadcasting for evesdroppers.  One that would probably serve a drow well in the underdark, or one that would serve a submissive slave.<strong>"There is much to say about Dahlwias, and if you know little about it, I'm uncertain of the best place to start.  The sultan, or the Padishah, rules the city with a light hand, leaving most of the ruling to the council of nobles.  They oversee most of the law and operation of the town and military, though the Sultan has the final say, his every whim and desire is absolute.  Thankfully he trusts his nobles, and gives them much leeway, preferring to spend time with his family, his harem, and his own pursuits."</strong><br/><br/>She gestured for them to turn down a side street as the surroundings grew less opulent and a little more middle class,<strong>"The city itself is a major center for trade, so the human tongue of trade speak is spoken by most that you'll meet.  But most locals still speak their garbled tongue of Ah'diwa.  The guardsman we met, I'm sure you noticed his grasp of the common tongue wasn't flawless?  You might come across one who speaks only Ah'diwa, if so say this phrase to them, <em>'altta had'duth biwud'uh</em>' in a firm and commanding voice.  It means "speak plainly in the trade tongue" but also carries in tonality a hint of an insult for them not speaking common.  It is obvious you are not a local, and for them to speak Ah'diwa to you could be taken as an insult.  If you allow them to do so, they may think you simple or try to take advantage of you."</strong><br/><br/>The pair crossed a bridge and there seemed to be more people as they left the area where homes were behind gated walls and began to see houses cramped and crushed together instead, where the more common people lived.<strong>"Trade is the lifeblood of the city, and so there are laws that are in place to protect foreigners.  But of course, those laws can only be enforced if the culprit of a crime is caught, so it is always wise to avoid trouble."</strong>She shrugged, the advice rather obvious.<br/><br/>Again they turned down a different street and shops, still open even at night, now lined the streets as the buildigns began towering above and the crowds around them grew.  Tialyn noticed several looks their way, but they were able to continue unmolested.  Ebony had not answered her question about her own past.  Certainly she had been forthcoming with other information, maybe when Tialyn got to know her better the drow would open up more?  The arrived at what appeared to be a warehouse and Ebony knocked on the door.  It cracked open and a face peered out from inside.  "We're here for tonight's pit," she said simply.  A hand stuck through the crack in the door and said,<strong>"Twenty five gold each,"</strong>then the face seemed to take them both in and added,<strong> "Unless you're here to compete?"</strong>Fifty gold was certainly quite a sum.  That put it out of reach of the commoners most likely.  Was it always so expensive to gain entrance to the pit?<br/><br/>Ebony shook her head and said,<strong>"Not tonight, maybe next week.  I'm a healer, I'll trade my services after matches for entrance." </strong>The man behind the door nodded but his hand stayed out and Ebony sighed and added,<strong> "For both of us."</strong><br/><br/>A slight curse in a foreign language sounded behind the door.  Even thought Tialyn couldn't understand the words, she knew a curse when she heard one.  But the door opened and the rather grimy looking man behind the door led them through the warehouse to a door that opened to a set of stairs.  Walking down into the basement, Tialyn found herself in an underground fighting arena.  Dozens, maybe as many as sixty people, mostly hooded for modesty stood around on the upper level looking down into the pit where a woman stood gesturing to those above her.  Dusky skinned and dark haired she was wearing what could only be called 'armor' in the loosest of definitions, showing far more skin then was covered.<br/><br/><strong>"Oh good, it's just starting,"</strong>Ebony whispered, pulling Tialyn physically to a spot where they could watch.  The woman pulled a mace out and readied it as a half a dozen skeletons chattered through an arch way on the other side of the pit.<strong> "She's new, I don't recognize her,"</strong>Ebony whispered pointing at the woman who took a defensive stance as the skeletons, armed with spears and swords, clattered towards her.<strong>"Skeletons are pretty weak obviously and not worth much glory.  But they are armed, and there's six of them, so this should be an interesting match." </strong>Ebony explained how a contestant's first match often set the tone for how good or ill they were received by the crowd, and that glory was everything in the pit when it came to winnings.<br/><br/>Tialyn watched as the woman battled the skeletons defensively at first, not letting them surround her.  But gasped as the skeleton's spear peirced her thigh opening a bloody rent.  But then was amazed as a moment later the wound sealed, the bleeding staunching and the wound closing, though still glowing with a red magical farie fire.  Ebony explained,<strong>"The pit is usually non lethal, but trust me, that woman feels that pain as if it is still an open wound.  She's just not going to die from it.  Of course 'red matches' where the safety spells are off are worth a lot of glory, but it's very risky."</strong>The match continued with the woman taking a few more hits, including one which severed one of the few straps holding her breastplate in place.  The crowd cheered as she shrugged out of the dangling armor and spun away from it, her bare breasts flashing the whole arena.  But eventually battered, bleeding, and bare breasted, she emerged victorious, shattering the skull of the last skeleton.  The crowd buzzed about the match and it seemed that the newcomer was fairly well received.<br/><br/>The second match was far less interesting.  A pair of leather clad women faced down a single orc, and managed to have little trouble dispatching him.  They held their arms up in victory as the bleeding, but still breathing orc was dragged from the arena by a pair of robed figures, but the crowd seemed unimpressed.  A slight smattering of applause was all they received before they left the arena as well.<strong>"It was too easy a match,"</strong>Ebony explained,<strong>"the crowd isn't here to see their fighting prowess, they want to see a challenge.  They want to see nudity, they want to see sex.  Those two probably won't be receiving much of a prize pool tonight.  They put on a poor show."</strong><br/><br/>Finally a dark skinned woman with brown hair entered the arena clad in little more than underwear and clutching only a wooden club.  The crowd's murmers seemed to appreciate the shapelly woman's attire and her opponent was a gnoll, larger and far more muscled then her, with a flaccid cock that hung thickly between it's legs.  The combat was short, but full of action as the pair clashed, the woman repeatedly being smashed down to the floor over and over again by the gnoll's heavy handed punches.  She got in a few good cracks with her club, but it only seemed to enrage the gnoll, who finally knocked her down with a brutal strike to her chin that left her dazed.<br/><br/>In a flash the gnoll had shredded the woman's garments and bound her with cloth that had been strewn about the arena.  The woman started screaming out as she realized she was defeated, only to have the gnoll lift the woman up and jam two fingers into her pussy from behind.  The crowd went wild and started cherring wildly as the woman wore a panicked expression that was mixed with something else... desire, as the gnoll's fingers raped her pussy.  Then just as brutally the gnoll grabbed her and speared his now hard cock into her from behind, and the woman's screams began to become tinted with the sounds of moaning lust.  She reached up with bound hands and grabbed the shaggy gnoll's mane as it thrust into her, finally pumping an inhuman amount of spunk into her from behind.  The defeated woman cried out orgasming from the beast's brutal fucking, and then collapsed onto the floor as it let her go.  Everyone could see the thick pasty cum coating her thighs and leaking from her abused hole, and the sound in the basement arena was nearly deafining as the crowd cheered.<br/><br/>Ebony leaned in and said loud enough for Tialyn to hear,<strong>"That's tonight's winner.  'Winning' in the pit doesn't always mean defeating your opponent, sometimes it's about who puts on the best show.  Mialasis down there 'loses' almost every fight.  She's almost got me convinced that she doesn't love the feel of monster cock... almost.  She's obviously very good at pretending that she doesn't want to be raped.  But then if that were the case she wouldn't be here every other week would she?"</strong><br/><br/>Two robed figures came and took the defeated woman, Mialasis apparently, out of the arena as the gnoll snapped and barked.  Then an announcer came out and shouted to the crowd,<strong>"It seems that dogface isn't satisfied yet.  Are there any women in the crowd that would like to try to take him on before we end tonight?"</strong><br/><br/>As if sensing what Tialyn might be thinking the drow put a hand on Tialyn's arm and whispered,<strong>"He may only be a gnoll, but you're not ready yet.  You probably won't beat him, and I certainly can't help you down there.  Think carefully."<br/></strong><br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">ooc</div><div class="spoiler_body">If Tialyn does volunteer, she has only her dagger and no armor, and her weakness means she has a -2 to every roll in combat.</div></div>