Innocent

by Aishling Morgan

  ‘You are good, but you remember to display yourself. This is what the people come to see.’

  ‘In Aegmund there is the skill and power of the fight, then the pleasure of seeing the girl taken. It is the better way.’

  ‘You should make it your signature. Fuck me after the match tonight. I will suggest it to Jelkrael and he can buy a dildo when we reach the town.’

  ‘You do not mind?’

  ‘Enjoy me.’

  Cianna smiled, and glanced to where Babalyn was preparing their meal. Jelkrael and Yufal sat, deep in conversation, while the two male slaves lounged by the oxen. Breaking off his conversation with a gesture, Jelkrael turned and beckoned to the girls. They ran over, sitting cross-legged in front of him.

  ‘There is a change of plan,’ he stated. ‘Having watched you three at practise, it is clear that for Cianna to be defeated by either of you others would be an obvious absurdity. She is too quick, too powerful, yet she lacks the skill to make a pretence of her holds. So, tonight Klia and Yuilla will wrestle, with Yuilla the victor, and in Ioto Cianna will defeat Yuilla. Only when we face truly skilled opposition will she lose. Is this understood?’

  ‘Yes, Master,’ the two Makean girls responded, Cianna nodding in agreement, and catching a dirty look from Yuilla.

  ‘So we must enhance Cianna’s reputation,’ Jelkrael went on. ‘We still need a good signature, for one thing.’

  ‘We have thought of one, Master,’ Klia put in. ‘In her homeland, men wrestle with a girl to fuck as the prize. Buy a dildo, and have Cianna fuck her defeated opponents.’

  Yuilla’s mouth came open, but she said nothing, only throwing another filthy look towards Cianna.

  ‘Yes, why not,’ Jelkrael said. ‘A good signature. Hmm, what else?’

  ‘I have a thought,’ Yuilla put in. ‘Cianna’s reputation for savagery would be finer still if she was a runaway. Have her run, perhaps after the fight in Ioto, and caught by Glaucum in a public place. The spectacle would be sure to arouse attention, and if she were to repeat the act all would think her savage indeed!’

  ‘True,’ Jelkrael answered. ‘Yet if she should run after the fight in Port Utis, people might think her a coward. I’ll think on the idea.’

  ‘She could be on a chain when we parade,’ Yuilla went on.

  ‘Now that is a fine thought,’ Jelkrael declared. ‘This is what I like to see! All of you, both free and slave, working together as my team.’

  Cianna stood, upright in the cart, chained by the neck to a post. Her hands were also chained, behind her back, making it impossible for her even to shield her breasts and sex from the stares of the crowd. Port Utis was larger than Ketawa, a town composed of a swath of docks and warehouse districts running for most of the frontage of an almost circular bay, with the wealthier residential districts in the hills behind. Jelkrael had made sure to tour both, entering the town in a long zigzag that ended at the front. Now, with the crowds thick around them, they had come to a stop before a tall, round building.

  Everybody seemed to be staring, and mainly at her, making her feel thoroughly uncomfortable. Not only was she nude, but Jelkrael had insisted on painting her body with a crude pattern of black and red swirls, which he seemed to think added to her image as a savage. That was bad enough, but both Klia and Yuilla were not only loose, but seated comfortably in the forward wagon, waving to the crowds and flaunting their bodies.

  ‘The pit,’ Jelkrael said, jerking his thumb at the round building, ‘and try and look fierce, will you? That sullen expression just makes you look as if you’d been taken unexpectedly up the bottom.’

  ‘I have been whipped.’

  ‘Yes, the marks add a nice touch, although they would be better fresh.’

  He laughed and jumped down from the wagon, her chain in his hands. Cianna was jerked after him, and managed to bare her teeth as she half-jumped, half-fell to the ground. The crowd gave back, and Cianna followed on Jelkrael’s heels, occasionally giving a half-hearted snarl if anyone tried to press too close or touch her. Ahead, Klia and Yuilla walked together, both of them were waving happily to either side, and walking proudly naked. Yuilla turned, to throw an amused grin towards Cianna, who answered it by spitting on the ground.

  ‘Better,’ Jelkrael said, ‘the crowd love to see a fight between girls who hate each other.’

  Cianna grunted in response, then kicked out as a pair of intruding fingers took a pinch of her bottom. Her foot met something hard and she turned to see a man clutching his shin before she was pulled into a doorway in the building. Inside it was dark and cool after the heat and brilliant sunshine of the streets. High above them were beams, and what she guessed was the underside of wooden seating, with heavy pillars supporting all. Jelkrael had dropped her chain to fasten the door behind him, leaving her lose for the first time in hours.

  She sat down, fidgeting with the chain at her neck. The collar Assivetes had put her in had been removed, which she was glad of, but it had been a great deal more comfortable than the heavy chain. Casting another angry look at Yuilla, she settled down to wait. All around was bustle, with dozens of people hurrying this way and that with no very obvious task. Cianna watched it all, in fascination, until at last the tread of feet on the boards above her head signalled the arrival of the audience.

  Yuilla and Klia were talking with Jelkrael, and to Cianna’s amazement she realised that they were agreeing on the details of the contest, throws, holds, even what poses the girls should get into. When they finally broke apart, it was for Jelkrael to walk to the narrow wooden corridor that led out to the pit. Both girls followed, Cianna behind them, waiting as Jelkrael made a grand announcement of the contest to come, with Babalyn beside him.

  Cianna could see little, only an area of sand, in the middle of which stood Jelkrael and Babalyn, with faces in the stands beyond, mainly male, Makeans in the bright robes and coloured smocks, the richer to the for. The announcement made, Klia ran out, then Yuilla, cartwheeling to the centre of the pit. Both stood, the audience clapping and calling out obscene suggestions, to which the girls responded with equally coarse answers and rude poses. Jelkrael stood back, bowing, then stepped quickly to join Cianna.

  ‘Observe, and learn,’ he said. ‘Each knows how to excite the audience, and thus to maximise our profit. Some one fifth of our gain comes from thrown coins, a quarter on a good night. Now watch, they begin.’

  Klia and Yuilla squared off against each other, squatted down, feet well apart, hands extended. Cianna watched, puzzled, at the girl’s movements, which seemed ritualised, almost a dance, and calculated more to show off their bodies than to gain any wrestling advantage. Twice Klia feinted before they came together, twisting around each over, Yuilla falling to sprawl on the sand, legs wide to show every detail of her sex to the crowd. The girls scrambled apart to the sound of laughter, and closed again, this time for Klia to be thrown high, again adopting a lewd and also ridiculous pose before rising to her feet.

  Cianna shook her head in disbelief, but the crowd were roaring with delight. A coin fell to the sand, then another, as once more the girls came close, Klia kicking out in an elaborate pirouette. Yuilla caught Klia’s foot, twisting, to hurl her to the sand, applying a lock, planting a firm smack on her bottom, only to dance away.

  ‘Why does she lose her advantage?’ Cianna whispered.

  ‘For show, naturally,’ Jelkrael replied.

  Putting her hand to her necklace, Cianna thought how her brothers and father would have laughed at the spectacle, and how outraged they would have been at the suggestion that she behave in the same way. Wrestling was fine, and if it had to be done nude then could console herself that she had little choice. Yet to fail to seek to win was simply absurd.

  For five rounds the girls fought, with brief rests between and Babalyn showing placards to announce the start of each. Only as the fight reached its climax did Cianna find her interest renewed. Klia was on her knees, held in a painful grip by Yuilla, and this time they did not b
reak apart. Cianna could see the pain in Klia’s face, while the excitement of the crowd was becoming feverish. Finally Klia called out her submission, to be immediately taken by the hair. Yuilla stood, legs braced apart, pulling Klia towards her as the crowd roared approval. Klia’s head was pulled to Yuilla’s sex, her face screwed up in despair, her mouth coming open, to receive the full stream of urine, directly into it. The crowd was baying wildly as Klia’s mouth was pissed in, clapping and roaring approval as the steaming yellow fluid trickled down over the beaten girl’s breasts and belly, splashing to the sand. All the while Yuilla grinned, looking down at her victim in delight, until she had emptied the full contents of her bladder into Klia’s face. Only then did Yuilla tighten her grip, pulling Klia in, to kiss her sex.

  Coins had been raining down as Klia was urinated on, and more followed as she began to lick Yuilla’s sex. The act was unhurried, and staged for show, with Yuilla turning to show off, and Klia held so that her tongue was visible as she lapped. The orgasm was real though, when it came, Yuilla’s thighs tightening around her victim’s head as her eyes closed in bliss, her mouth wide in a silent scream. With that the crowd rose, clapping and showering coins down into the pit, until at length Jelkrael stepped out again, raising his hands for silence as Yuilla strode from the pit, with Klia crawling behind her.

  Two days later they reached the town of Ioto. As before, Yufal had gone ahead, to place bets surreptitiously, to spread rumours of Yuilla’s prowess and generally whip up interest in the contest. This worked, and they paraded, with Yuilla standing proud in her wagon and Klia bound at her feet, through urgent crowds. Cianna once more stood chained to a post, the subject of even more attention than Yuilla.

  The pit proved to be at one side of a great square, in which the wagons were drawn up. Jelkrael was beaming as he jumped down, and giving assurances of a fine display to people in the crowd as he walked down the line of wagons. Yuilla was helped down, dragging Klia behind her, to strut proudly across to the pit. Cianna followed, Glaucum trotting beside her, her chain held in Jelkrael’s hand, snarling and spitting at people around her as she had been taught. Within, the pit was identical to the one in Port Utis, with a cool dim space beneath the seating, where Yufal was waiting, along with the pit staff. Cianna sat down, glad to be out of the heat of the Makean day, watching idly as Jelkrael spoke to Yufal and the pit staff. Yufal in particular was animated, making points on his fingers and stabbing the air in emphasis. As Cianna relaxed back against a pile of sandbags, Babalyn came to join her.

  ‘It seems you have created something of a sensation,’ Babalyn said.

  ‘Me?’ Cianna answered. ‘I haven’t even fought.’

  ‘No, but Yufal has had plenty to say nonetheless. His rumours have you as a cannibal girl bought from dwarven traders at vast expense. You are supposed to have been trained by the whip, like a beast. The people have never seen anyone from Kora before, and believe everything, which is helped by your teeth and your necklace. Yuilla’s signature has also caused some comment, but she is spitting with jealousy, the more so because she is to lose.’

  ‘I have no wish to hurt her. I would rather be friends.’

  ‘Ha! You are to wrestle her to the ground and fuck her in front of maybe a thousand people! She will take it, and doubtless put on a good show, but she would far prefer to be the one to win.’

  Cianna shrugged, lying back among the sacks and wondering if she would be able to sleep for a little. Her bruises were fading, but she felt tired after standing chained to the post for over an hour. Closing her eyes, she thought of Sulitea, and her goal, which seemed more distant than ever, then of Boreal, and of cool wind bringing the scent of pines and grass, which had become a dream before she knew it.

  She woke to the boom of Jelkrael’s voice, finding him standing over her, rubbing his fat hands together in glee.

  ‘This is too good to miss,’ he declared. ‘We have a full pit, every one laden with coin! Now listen, Cianna, there is a change to the program, from which I hope to profit greatly. You are to fight Klia first, then Yuilla. For the first, use your full strength, hold nothing back. Yufal will watch the odds, and if they swing far in your favour for the second, as I suspect they will, we will reverse the outcome. Babalyn will tell you at a break, but do nothing until the fifth. Is this clear?’

  ‘I…’ Cianna began sleepily, only for a pit official to appear.

  Jelkrael quickly turned to the newcomer, greeting him warmly.

  ‘You are ready?’ the official demanded, with an uncertain glance towards Cianna.

  ‘In all particulars,’ Jelkrael replied. ‘Cianna, come.’

  He stepped to the corridor, Babalyn following as Klia scampered across the join them. Cianna followed, yawning, to the mouth of the corridor. Babalyn stepped out onto the sand, made a pirouette and gestured to Jelkrael as he followed. He raised his hands and silence fell.

  ‘Men of Ioto,’ he boomed, ‘and Ladies also. It is my pleasure tonight to present not one contest, but two. First, the Warrior, Klia, veteran of over a hundred combats and victor in most, a fighting girl as skilled as she is beautiful…’

  He made a sweeping bow, mimicked by Babalyn. Klia stepped forward, bouncing into the pit and waving, then flaunting her bottom for the crowd. Jelkrael waited a moment, then once more raised his hands and spoke.

  ‘…in a combat unique, Klia is pitted against the savage Ice Cannibal, a girl taken by dwarves from her northern wastes and purchased for a most extravagant sum for your entertainment…’

  Again he gave his gesture, and Cianna stepped forward, her teeth bared, feeling slightly silly, but with a knot tightening in her stomach. She came out onto the sand, blushing and grinning despite herself, and giving a formal Aeg curtsey, which felt yet sillier without any clothes. The crowd laughed, she caught a dirty look from Jelkrael. Bets began to be called out, largely on Klia.

  Jelkrael withdrew, leaving Babalyn to hold up a placard and Klia sunk down into a crouch, her knees well spread and her bottom pushed out to the audience. Cianna followed suit, waiting as Babalyn made her circuit of the sand and disappeared into the corridor. Cianna waited, watching Klia and ignoring the comments on the look of her body, the shape of her bottom, the way her breasts hung or the colour of her pubic hair. Suddenly Klia came forward in an elegant pirouette, one leg extended. Cianna ducked, snatched, caught Klia’s ankle and set her down hard on her bottom. The crowd laughed and Cianna danced back. From the mouth of the corridor Jelkrael gave her a pleased nod.

  They engaged again, and again Klia was thrown, this time across Cianna’s back, briefly spreading her legs to the audience. Bets began to go Cianna’s way, cautiously, then more rapidly as for the third time they came together and Klia ended up sprawled in the sand. On the fourth pass Klia managed a hold she had not used in practise, and Cianna was briefly put into a lock, with her body bent back to flaunt her breasts. It was released, and Cianna danced away again, only for Babalyn to signal the end of the round.

  The fight continued, Cianna growing more confident and more excited, the shame of her nudity completely vanished beneath the pleasure of showing off her strength. Jelkrael’s instructions were forgotten, and if she adopted a lewd or silly pose it was by accident. Klia was also enervated, but clearly tiring by the time Babalyn called out the fifth round.

  Jelkrael was making frantic signals from the corridor, to which Cianna nodded. Stepping forward, she wiped a stray piece of sweat soaked hair from her forehead and crouched low. Klia was watching her, breathing slowly and deeply, her mouth slightly open, drips of sweat running down her face and chest. Cianna smiled, darted forward to catch Klia’s arm, ducked, rolled, snatched. Klia skipped to the side, only for Cianna’s legs to scissor onto her ankle, sending her crashing to the sand.

  Even as Klia bounced up Cianna was on top of her, snatching at her wrists. Klia went down, hard, and a moment later both her arms had been twisted hard into the small of her back. She kicked up, catching Cianna with her heel, tr
ied to twist, to buck her body, all of which were ignored.

  ‘I submit,’ Klia gasped, and her body went limp, ‘fuck me kneeling, Cianna.’

  The last had been a whisper, and Cianna was grinning as she rose, showing her teeth as she lifted her hands to take the applause of the audience. A scattering of coins landed on the sand, and Babalyn was coming forward, announcing Cianna as the winner and holding out the dildo and harness.

  There was a roar of approval from the crowd at the sight of the thing, and more coins showered down as Cianna strapped it into place. Klia lay face down, looking back with an expression of horror which Cianna would have sworn was real. Stepping forward, Cianna reached down, took Klia by the hair and pulled her up, forcing her to lift her bottom. The move caused fresh cheering from the crowd, along with suggestions that Klia ought to be buggered.

  It was tempting, with the dark wrinkle of Klia’s bumhole plainly visible and wet with sweat, but Cianna ignored them. Squatting down to ensure that as many of the audience as possible were given a view of Klia’s penetration, Cianna spread the soft, dark bottom. Putting the head of the dildo to the mouth of Klia’s vagina, she pushed, and watched as it slid inside. Klia moaned in misery and despair as Cianna began to fuck her, with the crowd cheering and calling out in delight.

  More coins were raining down around them, on them too. Cianna kept fucking, enjoying the feel of the dildo base on her own sex. Klia’s moans began to change tone, leading to yet more catcalling, until she had begun to push back onto the cock inside her. Cianna took mercy, reaching under the beaten girl’s belly, to find her sex. A few deft touches to the big clitoris and Klia was there, crying out in orgasm, to the delight of the crowd.

  Unsure if she could come herself in front of so many, Cianna let Klia’s orgasm signal the end of the ritual humiliation. She pulled out, spun round once to show the juice smeared dildo the to crowd, curtsied and stepped proudly from the pit. Babalyn greet her with a kiss and a pat on her bottom, sending her into the back, where Jelkrael and the others waited.