<div class="floatright"><em>Zerxel's map<br/>(http://i.imgur.com/hSxt9fa.jpg)<br/><br/>Shugar<br/>(http://i.imgur.com/KV72Q5h.jpg)<br/><br/>How Shugar is bound<br/>(http://i.imgur.com/hWgriFB.jpg)</em></div><br/>Bo nodded at Zerxel's statement,<strong> "Aye, I'd rather keep pushing on if we can.  I'm all right, only took one hit really."</strong>She gestured to her left side where, below her armor, a large red bruise showed.  It seemed like the large dogman's wild flailing had hit her at least once.  No punctures or bleeding could be seen however and in time the red skin would likely purple into a large bruise.  She certainly looked like she had weathered the combat far better than Zerxel had.  Her eyeing of Zerxel's injuries made it clear that even she was aware of that fact.  But she continued,<strong> "Lets go check out their camp or lair, aye?  It's only the second level of the dungeon and that was a tough fight fer us."</strong>There was a hidden message in what she said, or at least Zerxel interpreted it as such.  What Bo wasn't saying was that there probably wouldn't have been so many Dogmen if there'd only been one contestant.  Then again maybe that was just Zerxel's mind inserting something that wasn't there.<strong>"I doubt there's gonna be any more o' em up ahead, an there might be some rewards fer beaten em.  Maybe a healing potion er the like ye can quaff."</strong><br/><br/>Zerxel nodded her head and the pair proceeded cautiously into the overgrown and now wild park, pushing through brush, careful of traps, and weaving around overgrown trees.  The park slanted up hill, as the entire town seemed to do, and so they had to climb over man-made and ancient terraces to continue.  But then halfway between the two levels of street, Magma and Lava avenue, they broke into a clearing.  Around the clearing were a few very crude tents.  In the center a still smoldering fire pit with a spit of some sort of meat roasting over it.  But what was most notable as soon as the duo broke into the clearing was the woman tied to a post not too far from the largest of the four crude tents.<br/><br/>The woman was a fellow contestant, even Zerxel recognized her.  It would be hard not to notice Shugar during the time of training, for she was very notable.  Being part human and part bugbear she didn't look like most contestants.  Oh she was beautiful for certain, taking more after her human mother than her bugbear blooded father's side.  She resembled a human woman of extreme curves and proportions, standing over six feet tall, even bound to the post the way she currently was.  But while her skin was hairless, unlike the bugbears in her bloodline, it was a shade too yellow tan then one would normally see in a human.  Further that skin, including her ample hips and massive breasts were decorated in red tattoos that bore meaning to her father's clan. Her face was cute, despite the fangs that poked from her lower lip and her black, bear like, nose, and her face was ringed with thick wild black hair that fell down to the small of her back.<br/><br/>Another reason that Shugar was notable, and even if Zerxel didn't know her well, was that Shugar had always tried her hardest to be friendly with everyone.  She'd often taken the brunt of insults and pranks by other contestants with good cheer and a smile, when other girls would have grown angry.  Because of her optimistic and friendly attitude she'd certainly made no enemies in her time at the temple, but as far as Zerxel knew, had also made no solid friendships either.  It was difficult when you looked so much like a monster she supposed.<br/><br/>Shugar was bound to the post and squirmed when the duo entered the clearing, her eyes popping open wide as she wiggled against the ropes.  There was a large gag in her mouth, so she couldn't speak, and it appeared that the ropes held her well enough that she couldn't free herself either, even with the dogmen now gone.  She'd been stripped nude, and if the dried blotches that covered large swaths of her face, body, legs and the inside of her thighs, she'd been fucked repeatedly, at least a few dozen times, by the dogmen.<br/><br/>Zerxel's first instinct upon seeing the woman was to go free a fellow contestant, especially one that had always been friendly, even to Zerxel.  Obviously it was the right thing to do.  But, the thought also did occur to her that this was a contestant that had been defeated by dogmen, and how strong could she possibly be if she let that happen?  She was already defeated, already bound, and it would only take fifteen minutes or so to march her back to the spiderlings and turn her over to the creatures.  Certainly the 'drow' in her said that was the best bet, the best way to gain power.  If she let Shugar join her and Bo there would be no doubt that the monsters they encountered would grow stronger, and Zerxel had to wonder if the bugbear blooded contestant could pull her weight.  Plus splitting any rewards, food, water, what have you, in the dungeon was much easier to do two ways then three.<br/><br/>Bo on the other hand seemed not to be having such a moral quandry, as she cried out,<strong> "Shugar!"</strong>and began to walk towards the bound bugbear.  It was obvious the dwarf intended to free Shugar.  Though if Zerxel stopped her, no doubt Bo would at least listen to her logic.