<div class="floatright"><div style="text-align: right;"><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">magic chainmail</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i.imgur.com/MqUH9Qt.jpg)</div></div><br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">the arena</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i.imgur.com/0GWJlzh.jpg)<br/><sup><em>click to enlarge</em></sup></div></div><br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">the Void</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i.imgur.com/WtslQaN.jpg)</div></div></div></div><br/>Slipping the halter over her naked breasts the metal feels cool and Lydia can't help it as her nipples tighten and pucker into hardness from the sensation but she carries on and wraps the skirt about her naked hips, fastening it on the side.  There is a bit of uncertinty as she adjusts the chain so that it rides correctly on her body, but somehow it feels very good.  The fear of her nipples pinching inside the links vanishes as she feels the now hardened nubs poking slightly into the metalic weave.  But as she adjusts the chain, it seems to flow smoothly, comfortably, almost as if silk on her skin.  Then as if that wasn't enough proof of it's magical nature she feels it shifting of it's own accord.  The metal links seem to crawl upwards, vanishing on their own and reshaping.  The edges of the skirt join and shrink, moving to fit perfectly against her skin, and she can feel the cool metal rising up until it presses against her vulva and wrapping about to cover only a part of her buttock.  The armor has transformed itself into a bikini of sorts, exposing even more of her flesh than she'd expected.  Still she does know that her sponsor would not have given her a cursed item, such things weren't done, so it must offer more protection than it would appear.  Besides if it can transform in this way now, maybe it can transform again?<br/><br/>Strapping the sword belt on and putting on the backpack she bends over to put on her socks and boots.  She feels a breeze of cool air slipping through the chain weave to caress her intimate places and tries to ignore it.  Sinthra and Chindra after all fight nearly naked all the time, and are both skilled combatants, so Lydia can get used to it if she has to.  Nodding to the judge, she indicates that she is ready to continue.  She is brought to a large circular room.  Every few feet is a small, round platform etched with runes.  Lydia knows these are the sending terminals, once she steps on these, it will be the last time she stands on the ground she knows before being sent into the arena, the first layer of the dungeon.  She also knows that the terminals are often randomized and the choice of which terminal to stand on doesn't often correlate to her location in the arena, so she takes the nearest open one.  Looking around she sees several of her other contestants standing ready, some look nervous, some determined, some almost giddy with anticipation.  But more than that, she notices the way the other contestants are equipped.  Most of those already present are clad in nothing but the default uniform.  Did these women fail to gain sponsorship?  Did their sponsorship come in some fashion other than gear?<br/><br/>She notices many of them looking at her style of dress and murmuring quietly to those nearby, but then others begin filtering in.  Sinthra & Chindra, the elvish sisters are naked save the default boots, but each of them bear swords, carried openly and bared in their hands.  Evii, seeming determined and less clueless then usual strides in wearing the normal outfit and bearing a staff that glows softly at the tip, and Esther makes quite a stir as she stomps in, her boots shod with metal soles and toe guards, a scale brestplate extending from her neck to her waist, and a heavy white tabard over it.  Lydia notices however that as she walks and the tabard, which reaches down to her knees, sways back and forth.  She catches a glimpse of Esther's bare buttocks beneath the tabard and realizes that even this heavy protection must come at a price.  Esther seems focused however and is muttering something to herself over and over, as if trying to commit it to memory.<br/><br/>The platforms are almost full when Kortny Silversmith enters and takes one of the platforms behind Lydia,<strong>"All right Lydia?"</strong>she asks, apparently carrying no extra gear other than a belt laden with pouches.  But before Lydia has a chance to respond to the raven haired beauty, the last platform in the room is taken and Headmistress Mayweather addresses the room.<br/><br/>She raises her hands for attention for only a few seconds before speaking, the opening fairly standard,<strong>"Fifty girls.  This is the yearly harvest.  For twenty four years I have stood here and given this speech."</strong><br/><br/>She pauses for a moment to let that sink in before continuing,<strong>"I have seen 1,200 girls standing where you now do.  I have seen years where the women entering have barely made it to the reaping levels, I have seen years where none escaped the dungeon, I have seen years where an entire group of girls made it to the bridge.  If you wish to make it to the reaping level and either escape the dungeon, or to continue on and cross the bridge, you must take care from this point on.  Consider each choice, be willing to live with those choices, and the consequences.  Do not fool yourselves, you are sacrifices."</strong><br/><br/>She paused again and there was a murmuring from the contestants,<strong>"You are living sacrifices, given by your people to the treaty and to the dungeon to ensure that this world sees continuing peace instead of death, warfare, and total corruption.  But just because you are a sacrifice does not mean you are without hope.  Your minds and your bodies will be tested, your sexuality will be displayed and taken, for the whole world to see..."  </strong>It was true, in all the years of recorded history since the dungeon became available to be watched, no contestant ever made it out without failing at least once and losing their virginity.  Almost all counselors required it in fact for their boon.<strong>"But if you are strong enough, smart enough, brave enough, and can survive the depredations you can win your freedom, and perhaps you can be the one to finally bring down Pandora's corruption."</strong><br/><br/>There were some cheers at this point, and more than a few softly uttered jeers of disbelief.  The dungeon had survived for over four hundred years, and most people thought it unbeatable after all.  Escaping, on the reaping levels, was often looked at as the prize to gain.  A smart contestant and one that showed well during the dungeon, and escaped with little corruption, often found herself a minor celebrity and had an easy life afterwards.<br/><br/>The headmistress held her hands up again for silence,<strong>"This year, in the arena, you must choose speed over opportunity.  Weigh your choices between finding the key to enter the dungeon against the risk of advantage offered.  You will have little time to make your way into the dungeon, and it might take you longer than you expect.  I'm told that once again the Paladin is the most popular choice for this year, eight of you electing to try for him as your sponsor.  I also note that of the twenty four counselors, no one has chosen to try for the twins.  Use that information as you see fit.  Good luck."</strong><br/><br/>Then she nodded once and almost so quietly that Lydia missed it, the headmistress muttered,<strong>"Send them."</strong>There was a flash of arcane power from the runes beneath her feet as the world turned a dazzling white.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The flash of white was accompanied by a surge of electricity, not painful, but coursing through Lydia's body, she could feel it arcing along her limbs and lighting up her skin everywhere that the chain bikini did not cover.  It wasn't painful, but it was... stimulating.  Then, in an instant she is standing somewhere else.  Sand beneath her feet she looks around to see all the other contestants around her in the center of the arena.  A large wall, about fifteen feet high makes up the outer edge of the oval arena and thousands of people are looking down at the contestants, some cheering, some calling names, some just roaring with anticipation.  She knows from her lessons that the fifteen foot wall is a deceptive illusion, and no way out lies at the top.  A powerful, invisible, and potentially lethal, force field may or may not be in place at the top of that wall.<br/><br/>Looking around, Lydia sees a glowing archway filled with a yellow mist off to the east, near the wall.  Above it sits the royal box where the leaders of the free nations sit.  The rest of the crowd are all wealthy or at least have some influence, but this box, above the glowing archway are the world's most powerful people.  Opposite that, off to the west stands a large wall with pegs, on each peg a single key.  There appear to be hundreds of keys, all identical.  To the north and south, scattered at random around the arena are treasure chests.<br/><br/>However a noise lower than the crowd immediately draws everyone's attention.  Lydia sees large stone doors opening to the very north and south end of the arena.  As the stone doors raise, an inky blackness spills out, crawling, flowing, oozing.  Black pseudo-pods dragging an amorphous and chaotic mass from beneath the stone even as it raises, crawling slowly towards the contestants in the middle of the arena.<br/><br/><em><strong>The Void!</strong></em><br/><br/>Lydia has to do something, but it is Esther who seems to be the first to react.  Charging off directly towards the southern door, still chanting something she heads right towards it.  No, not towards it, but towards a treasure chest that is very far to the south.  Lydia now realizes what the headmistress meant when she spoke of choosing speed over opportunity.  Now is the time for action!<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">ooc</div><div class="spoiler_body">You can ignore the pubic hair in the picture, I realized I don't even know if Lydia is 'groomed' when it comes to her pubes or not.</div></div>