Adventures in Syrada (updated 23rd August 2016)

Sorry to disappoint you, guys, but that sort of bet is simply not allowed at this time. It was easy to miss among everything else Constance said, but she mentioned the rules for a test fight like this one:

Some things, such as betting sex or choosing how much money to bet on a fight, are only possible after Freya has won the test fight. So no betting sex just yet, sorry.

Now if the two fight again later, after both of them have passed... I'll make a note of that possibility, just in case.

 

Works fine for me. Felt it was a little early for that at the moment anyway.

 

Fine by me as well, guess I mixed up the rules a bit, lol.

 

Freya thought about it for a few moments before reaching a decision. I likely won’t get a better chance to test my combat skills. That alone is reason enough to try. "Excuse me." She said when a woman in a crimson cloak approached them to give Constance the money the noblewoman had earned from her bet. "I’d like to try fighting at the arena."

"Certainly. Give me just a minute and I’ll show you the way." The woman said and went to the next person that had bet on the warrior.

"Since we’ll separate for a bit and our appearances will change due to the masks’ magic I guess we should come up with a way to know each other." Constance leaned closer and whispered a few words in Freya’s ear. "Anyway, I’ll bet on you so make sure to win." she told her. "Of course, if you lose you can always… make it up to me."

"Don’t count on it." The noblewoman didn’t get a chance to say anything more as the woman with the crimson cloak came back and Freya followed her.

"Both you and your opponent bet 50 coins. The winner receives both bets and the right to fight at the arena; the loser gets nothing and can try again against a different opponent. You don’t need to worry about dying or suffering permanent damage. You also don’t need to worry about running out of mana – the arena is enchanted to greatly boost mana regeneration. If you manage to run out of mana before the fight is over – you’re doing something wrong." The woman explained as they walked.

That’s good to know. One less thing to worry about.

"In case you weren’t told know that fighting outside the designated areas is forbidden. It doesn’t matter who started it – you will get in trouble for it."

"Understood." Freya answered after she heard the woman’s warning. I had no intention of fighting anyone else, anyway.


Freya was brought to a small square room with two benches and nothing else inside. There were two wooden doors – one they had just arrived from, the other one likely led to the arena where the fight would take place. The only person in the room was a woman with a bow, likely the archer that had just lost. She looked up when she heard them arrive.

"Are you up for another fight? She wants to become an arena fighter, and you’re the only other candidate currently available." The woman asked the archer right away.

"Of course I am! I need to earn back the money I lost!" The archer, currently looking like a silver-haired elf, answered without hesitation.

"Excellent! Both of you wait here." The woman left without another word, leaving the two young women alone.

"So… any particular reason you want to fight at the arena?" Freya asked, deciding that it won’t hurt to learn a little bit about her opponent.

"I want to fight Bronwen. What about you?"

"I’m just curious what it’s like… wait, did you say Bronwen? Isn’t that the Archery Champion?"

"Yes, that’s her. I want to see for myself if she’s really as good as people say."

"You don’t care what happens if you lose to her?"

"Getting fucked by Bronwen will be a nice little bonus."

"…Right." Freya paused as she considered what to say next. "No offense, but I doubt she would want to fight you. I was watching earlier and you couldn’t even calm down without outside help. Even if you get lucky and find an opponent you can actually defeat Bronwen will remain out of reach for you."

"…Are you trying to say I’m weak?"

"You mean you’re not?" Freya asked in her most innocent voice.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Of course not! Who would ever mock a great warrior such as you? Certainly not me…" Freya answered, the sarcasm in her voice obvious.

"I’m going to make you regret those words!" The archer growled and glared at her opponent.

Looks like I pissed her off… good. Before either of them could say anything more the other door opened and a black-haired man wearing the now-familiar crimson cloak arrived.

"Follow me. The battle will start in about five minutes."

Freya and her opponent were led to the arena. When they had almost reached it they passed through two energy barriers – the first one was green and made Freya feel refreshed, the second one was blue and as soon as she passed through it Freya felt mana flow through her body.

Once on the arena the two women took spots opposite each other and waited for the bell to signal the start of the fight. Freya used the chance to take a look around and saw that the corridor they followed to reach the arena was now blocked by a barrier made of red energy. She also noticed that there were fewer people in the seats watching the fight. Guess no one expects this to be a very long or interesting battle…

Finally the bell sounded and the battle began. Immediately Freya pointed at the archer and a bolt of purple energy short forth. At nearly the same moment the archer, not wasting any time to aim, fired an arrow the redhead. To Freya’s surprise it was not aimed at her head or body but instead at her feet. There was a brief flash of pain as the arrow’s tip grazed her left foot and then it hit the floor somewhere behind her.

The archer wasn’t as lucky. The bolt hit her right in the middle of her chest and made her cringe in pain. Yet her expression soon turned into a smug grin and she started moving around at random, seemingly trying to make herself a more difficult target.

Aiming at my feet… was she trying to limit my mobility so that I would be easier to hit? Freya wondered as she tried to aim her next spell. NOW she comes up with something smart to try. Couldn’t she do that against the warrior? She might have won if she did! Freya thought, annoyed, and fired another arcane bolt. This one almost hit, as did the next one and the one after it. What is she doing? Why isn’t she attacking me? And why is she grinning like that? …Wait, was there something on the arrow’s tip? But I don’t feel anything… Finally Freya managed to guess which way the archer would move and the next bolt hit her left arm, causing her to grimace in pain and drop her bow.

And she keeps on grinning smugly, like she’s already won. But at least I no longer have to worry about her getting a lucky shot. Hmm, let’s try her 'aim for the feet' idea… Three more bolts missed before one finally hit the archer’s right leg. There was no visible damage but her movements slowed down and her grin finally vanished. Taking advantage Freya kept casting Arcane Bolt and a few seconds later the archer finally fell down, unconscious. The bell sounded, confirming her victory.

Well, that was easy. I don’t know what she expected to happen after she managed to scratch me, but whatever it was it clearly did not work. A servant girl wearing a plain brown skirt and a grey blouse approached Freya and led her out of the arena while another such girl was checking on her opponent. As she left the arena Freya was surprised to notice that she was feeling slightly aroused…


Freya was led back the way she had come. As she passed through the green barrier she felt the scratch on her leg heal fully. She was led to the small room, then out of it and to another, larger, room. Inside a woman wearing a crimson cloak was waiting for her.

"Congratulations, girl! You are now qualified to fight at the arena. There are just two minor details that need to be taken care of. First, you need to choose a pseudonym to use when fighting at the arena. And second…" The woman pointed to a small wooden chest that had been left on a table. "Inside you will find various gems. Choose one – the size, shape and color don’t matter, so pick whichever one you like." The woman waited patiently while Freya started looking through the gems in the chest.

Spoiler

Vote 1:
What should be Freya’s pseudonym?
Optional: You can specify the gem she chooses.

Voting results: Pseudonym: Firebolt
Gem: A red gem to match Freya's hair, one that looks like a heart.

Original text from before the vote, preserved for historic purposes:
"Alright, this will take only a moment…" The woman took the gem Freya had chosen and held in tightly in her hand. Rainbow light surrounded it for a few seconds and then the gem was given back to the redhead. She immediately noticed that something was different. A closer look revealed that her chosen pseudonym was now written inside the gem.

As she was sorting through the various gems Freya thought about what pseudonym to use. She considered and discarded a few ideas before coming up with one she liked. "Can I choose 'Firebolt' for my name?"

"Certainly. The only names you can’t choose are the ones that are already being used by other fighters. 'Firebolt' is free, so you can have it if you want it." The woman answered.

"Great! In that case I choose 'Firebolt' as my pseudonym." Freya decided as she kept looking through the gems. Shortly after that one caught her attention: A small heart-shaped ruby, the same color as her hair. Beautiful. This will do. She took the gem she had chosen and closed the chest, then turned around and gave the ruby to the woman. "Here’s my gem."

"Alright, this will take only a moment…" The woman took the ruby Freya had chosen and held it tightly in her hand. Rainbow light surrounded it for a few seconds and then the gem was given back to the redhead. She immediately noticed that something was different. A closer look revealed that 'Firebolt' was now written inside the gem with bright red letters.

"This gem is used to identify you when you are here on the arena. If you lose it simply will it to come to you and it shall. Once again, congratulations on passing the test." The woman said and turned away, signaling that the conversation was over.

Freya made her way out and back to their seats where a woman was waiting for her.

"Congratulations! I knew you could do it, my beautiful edelweiss!" Constance greeted her with the keyword she had suggested earlier. "It wasn’t much of a fight, but that’s not your fault."

"Thanks." Freya answered just as a man wearing a crimson cloak approached them and gave each of them a hundred coins.

"Looks like the archer’s plan didn’t work." The noblewoman commented once they were alone again.

"Any idea what her plan was? She obviously expected something to happen, but it didn’t."

"Most likely there was something on her arrow but it had no effect on you for some reason. Anyway, what should we do now? If you want we could try to go watch the tournament – I’m sure it’s far from over even if we missed the start. Or is there something else you have in mind?"

Vote 2:
A. Go watch the tournament
B. Walk around at random
C. Ask Constance to show her any other places of interest
D. Do something else (specify what)

X. Minor Action

---

Two votes this time, in case you guys want to choose a particular pseudonym for Freya. If not I’ll choose one at random. The main vote is obviously the second one.

P.S.: Freya is back at full mana and full health.

 

Vote 1:
Pseudonym: Since her hair is red and she used arcane bolts to fight, how about 'Firebolt'? Or does it need to be a name?
Gem: I'd pick a red gem to match Freya's hair.

Vote 2:
A. Go watch the tournament.


Hmm, the arrow probably caused Freya to feel that small bit of arousal, it'll be interesting if the effects increase with time.

 

Vote 1:
Agreed to name and Gem, but adding Gem Shape: One that looks like a heart.

Vote 2: Also agreed.

Minor Action: Ask Constance if poisons such as whatever the archer had tried were allowed in the matches. Also ask why it might not have worked on her?

 

+1 to the name and watching tournament

 

I've updated the previous post with the chosen name and gem. As for the next post: I hope to have it ready some time tomorrow.

 

"Sure, let’s go watch this tournament. I’m curious what the other arena fighters are like." Freya agreed.

"Wonderful! Follow me!" Constance led the way to the arena where the tournament was taking place, followed closely by the redhead.

While walking Freya decided to ask a question: "So, I take it tricks like putting something on your weapon to immobilize the opponent are allowed? And also, do you have any idea why the archer’s… whatever it was… had no effect?"

"Sure they are. A poison that paralyzes you is not different from a spell that paralyzes you. As for why it didn’t work… how should I know? Maybe she used something you’re immune to. Maybe the wound was too shallow and there wasn’t enough of the… poison or whatever she used… to affect you. Maybe you resisted the effect. Maybe she just used the wrong arrow. Doesn’t really matter. You are allowed to use everything at your disposal, unless you are told that something is forbidden. Just make sure you have a backup plan, in case it doesn’t work." Constance answered as she continued to lead them towards the arena.

"Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind." I guess there’s more strategy involved in the fights than I thought.

The trip to the arena was uneventful. When they arrived they discovered that there were barely any empty seats left, and all of them near at the back, the furthest away from the arena. Said arena was circular and much bigger than the one where Freya had fought the archer.

Constance spotted a pair of empty seats next to each other and together with Freya took them. On the noblewoman’s left was a man that appeared to be in his forties, on her right was Freya, and on Freya’s right were the stairs leading down.

"Did we miss anything?" Constance asked as she leaned towards the man.

"Oh, nothing much, just the preliminary round." The man answered right away. He seemed to be in a good mood.

"Preliminary round?" Freya raised an eyebrow. The man that had told them about the tournament had said nothing about a preliminary round.

"A total of 48 teams of five showed up for the tournament – apparently a lot more than what was expected. So there was a preliminary round consisting of every participant shooting at various stationary targets and getting points for it. Twelve teams did not get the max score and were eliminated. The remaining thirty-six teams were divided in three groups of twelve. Four teams of each group will go to the finals. The top two teams will be allowed to challenge Bronwen one week from now, and if either team manages to beat her both teams will be allowed to gangbang her in public, for the entertainment of everyone." The man helpfully explained everything. As he was talking his appearance gradually changed into that of a young man in his early twenties.

"That’s… a lot of people that want to gangbang Bronwen." Freya noted, a bit surprised at the numbers.

"Indeed. Even the organizers were surprised and had to improvise a bit." The man agreed.

"Looks like it’s about to start." Constance noted. Freya followed her gaze and saw that a bald man in a crimson cloak was now making his way to the center of the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The man’s loud voice reached everyone, likely due to some spell. "It’s finally time for the tournament to begin! Twelve teams will fight but only four will make it to the finals! A team is eliminated only when all five members have been taken out. For this part of the competition the minimum bet is 100 coins. You may bet on as many teams as you like and if any of your chosen teams reach the finals you will receive a reward." The man paused for a moment. "To make it easier to determine which teams have the best chances of success you will be able to see all of their equipment, not just the weapons. Without further ado, here are the twelve teams!" With his hand the man pointed towards a dark entrance. From there came the first group of five.

All five were man holding bows and wearing brown leather armor. "Team 'The Bolts'! If they make it to the finals you get 1200 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

Next were a group of three men and two women. The leader of the group was clad in full plate armor and was holding a crossbow, with a second crossbow on his back. The other four were holding bows and wearing black leather armor. "Team 'The Crushers'! If they make it to the finals you get 1000 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

Next were five people wearing brown cloaks and with hooded faces, making it impossible to see what sort of armor they were wearing, or even what they looked like. All five had longbows. "Team 'The Hoods'! If they make it to the finals you get 1000 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

Next were four men and a lone woman, all of them dressed in white armor, with crossbows on their backs and small white shields on their left hands. "Team 'The White Archers'! If they make it to the finals you get 800 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

Next were three women and two men, all wearing green armor and holding longbows. "Team 'Sharpshooters'! If they make it to the finals you get 600 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

Next were five women wearing chain mail and holding crossbows. "Team 'True Strike'! If they make it to the finals you get 600 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

A group of four women and a lone man followed. Each had different-colored armor: The guy’s was bright red, the first woman’s was blue, the second – green, the third – bright yellow and the last one was pink. "Team 'Sureshot'! If they make it to the finals you get 600 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

Next came a team of five people wearing heavy armor colored black, with horned full helmets that hid their faces. All had crossbows on their backs and apparently were trying to be as intimidating as possible. "Team 'The Black Knights'! If they make it to the finals you get 600 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The ninth team consisted of three women and two men, all of them wearing green armor but without helmets. Two of the women and one of the men had chosen longbows while the other two had preferred crossbows. "Team 'The Treants'! If they make it to the finals you get 300 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The following team consisted of five women. Their clothes made Freya blink in surprise. Miko robes? That’s a kind of attire you don’t see very often in Syrada… All five were holding bows. "Team 'The Mikos'! If they make it to the finals you get 300 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The first of the last two teams consisted of a lone woman, who seemed to be the leader, and four men. All five were holding bows and were wearing leather armor with runes on it, but due to the distance Freya could not see any details. "Team 'The Rune Warriors'! If they make it to the finals you get 200 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The final team consisted of five women wearing silver metal armor with crimson runes on it, but again Freya was too far away to see any details. Three of them had crossbows while the other two were holding bows. "And last but not least: Team 'The Silver Blades'! If they make it to the finals you get 200 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

All teams were met with cheers and ovations, with each team getting a better, more enthusiastic, reception than the ones before it. Combined with the rewards for betting on each one it was easy to guess which teams were expected to win.

The man in the center of the arena waited for the teams to take their designated spots and for the crowd to quiet down a bit before speaking again. "The battle will commence in ten minutes. May the best teams win!" With that said the man left the arena.

100 coins is all of my money. If I’m going to bet I best choose wisely… Freya took a quick look round and saw that most people – Constance included – were examining each team, likely trying to decide which one to bet on.

Vote:
A. Bet 100 coins on a team
A1. Bet on 'The Bolts'
A2. Bet on 'The Crushers'
A3. Bet on 'The Hoods'
A4. Bet on 'The White Archers'
A5. Bet on 'Sharpshooters'
A6. Bet on 'True Strike'
A7. Bet on 'Sureshot'
A8. Bet on 'The Black Knights'
A9. Bet on 'The Treants'
A10. Bet on 'The Mikos'
A11. Bet on 'The Rune Warriors'
A12. Bet on 'The Silver Blades'
B. Decide not to bet on any team and just watch the fight
C. Do something else (specify)

X. Minor Action

 

Just watch the fight

 

+1 on just watching the fight, there are too many variables for Freya to make a safe bet, so it's better to just watch for now.

 

+1 to just watching.

Minor action: Focus not on merely watching, but on learning new team tactics and improving tactics skill

 

Agreed on minor action!

 

I agree as well!

 

Apologies for the delay, but I was quite busy the previous two days and did not have the inspiration to write a good entry. I tried writing, but I was not satisfied with the result so I rewrote most of it.

---

After thinking about it for a bit Freya decided not to bet. Instead she chose to watch and see what the tournament was like. There would be three more battles so she could always bet later.

As she waited for the battle to start an idea occurred to her. Since it’s a team tournament maybe I can learn something useful from watching the way the teams fight…

Constance bet 1000 coins on 'The Silver Blades', apparently confident in their ability to make it to the finals. From what Freya could hear most of the spectators were betting on the last four teams that had been introduced though there were a few exceptions.

Finally the ten minutes passed, but instead of a signal to start the competition, as Freya expected, the whole arena began to blur and change. The process lasted for just about a minute and when it ended the arena looked quite different.

"This shall be the battleground for the first round." Announced a loud male voice. "The overgrown ruins of a long-forgotten village. As our competitors will soon discover every object down there is quite realistic. Two things need to be known before we can begin. First, whenever some of the competitors are eliminated their illusionary corpses will be left behind. Second, there are ten special gold coins hidden somewhere on the arena. For each coin hit the team that hit it will receive bonus coins after the fight: 100 coins if the team was eliminated or 1000 coins if the team made it to the finals." The voice made a pause to let everyone process the new information. So, people can be greedy and try to hit some of the coins, but if they do they’ll be giving away their location to the other teams. This changes things a bit… Freya realized.

"Now, let the fight commence!" The voice announced at last and with that the tournament officially began.

The teams’ starting locations were all the same – a small square surrounded by fallen walls on three sides, with the arena wall right behind them. The walls – or rather what was left of them – offered minimal protection. The members of each team gathered together, likely to discuss what to do.

After a few minutes most teams left their starting locations to seek better positions within the ruins. There were plenty of trees, bushes, partially destroyed walls overgrown with moss and vines, piles of stones that had been walls once, and more, to provide cover. The only team that did not move was team 'The Mikos'. All five of them started stripping, to the joy of many a spectator. As it turned out their red skirts and white haoris were their only clothes and so the five were soon completely naked. Then one of them gathered the discarded clothes and started carrying them while the other four surrounded her, ready to protect her if necessary.

Freya soon discovered that if she focused on a particular location she could see through any solid objects, allowing her a better look at what was going on. She figured the same did not work for the competitors.

Team Sureshot were the first to be eliminated. The bright colors of the armors they had chosen had been easy to spot and within a minute all five members had been taken out of the competition.

After that things got quite chaotic for a while, everyone moving around in search of a better position and shooting upon everyone else. 'The Crushers' got ambushed by 'The Black Knights' and were quickly eliminated. Then the Knights were in turn ambushed by 'The Bolts' and 'The Hoods' and also left the competition. Afterwards the two teams turned on each other and for a bit kept shooting at each other but with little result. The standoff was ended by the Sharpshooters attacking both teams and taking out most them, leaving the Hoods with a single member left and the Knights with two. The remaining three people managed to flee – right into the waiting Rune Warriors. A few moments later the number of eliminated teams increased to five.

With nearly half the teams eliminated things slowed down a bit. The Mikos had stayed out of the fight so far and had instead put their discarded clothes on bushes and trees, giving the impression of poorly hidden people. All five were standing nearby in wait for anyone that got close.

The Rune Warriors and The Silver Blades had each lost a member while Freya’s attention had been focused elsewhere; The Treants had lost two people. The rest of the teams were still with 5 members each.

For some time nothing interesting happened. The Mikos kept waiting patiently while the other teams kept moving around and shooting anyone. Eventually 'True Strike' noticed the Mikos’ red skirts and started shooting at them, only to discover they had been tricked and lose one of their members and for another one to get wounded before the Mikos moved away from their hiding spots. 'True Strike' tried to do the same but were too slow and The Sharpshooters, the White Archers and the Rune Warriors ganged up on them, bringing the number of eliminated teams up to six.

As she watched the Mikos move around Freya started noticing things. How they could understand each other with just looks and minor hand signals (that Freya had not even noticed at first). How one of them always watched the surroundings to make sure no one surprised them from behind. How each of them would always remain in the sight of at least one of the other four. This is clearly not the first time they fight as a team.

A moan pulled Freya’s attention away from the arena. As it turned out some of the spectators were using the naked Mikos as masturbation material. Men were jerking off while women had their hands between their legs. Some had gone even further, such as the woman sucking the cock of the guy next to her, or the man groping the breasts of the woman sitting in his lap. Most, however, were watching the fight and were ignoring the indecent display around them. I guess this sort of thing is pretty common, especially with the masks hiding people’s identities. Freya figured out. She noticed that unlike her Constance was paying no attention to what the other spectators were doing.

The redhead returned her attention back to the arena right on time to see the four remaining members of team 'The Silver Blades' hit a total of four of the special coins. Each coin exploded in a rain of tiny golden sparks that fell down to the floor. Not wasting any time all four team members moved away so as to not allow their completion to take advantage of knowing their approximate locations. The Mikos followed the example, shooting down two coins. The Treants tried to take advantage and attacked them – only to discover it had been a clever trap and lose another member, leaving them with just two. Next the Rune Warriors hit a coin, and also paid the price by losing a member to an attack from The White Archers. Finally the Sharpshooters also hit a coin – and that proved their last mistake. The Mikos and The White Archers attacked them from two sides and took them all out.

With seven teams eliminated there was a lull in the action as the remaining five regrouped and changed strategies. No one wanted to be the last team to be eliminated when they were all so close to the finals.

Perhaps the people in charge of the tournament had gotten tired of waiting, or perhaps it had been planned from the start, but soon the illusionary trees and bushes started to wither and die while the illusionary ruined walls started falling apart and turning into piles of old stones. Within minutes there was a lot less cover available and each team could see the other four.

The three remaining Rune Warriors found themselves close to The Treants and the Silver Blades, with the White Archers and the Mikos further away. After a moment of hesitation The Treants chose to attack the Mikos while the other two teams focused on the White Archers. One quick exchange later The Treants were down to a single badly wounded member, The Rune Warriors were also left with a single member, and the White Archers had all been taken out. Yet nothing happened.

Wait, shouldn’t the battle end now that there are just four teams left? Or are they supposed to continue until only one team remains? Freya wondered, confused. Her question was promptly answered when one of the 'eliminated' members of The White Archers promptly got up and, with a bit of effort due to his wound, shot the last remaining Rune Warrior in the back, taking her out. Immediately a bell was heard and the illusionary ruins started fading away like fog blown away by the wind.

"The battle is over! The four teams that will advance to the final round are: The White Archers, The Treants, The Mikos and The Silver Blades!" A woman’s voice announced as the crowd started cheering. Freya noticed a number of people did not seem very happy with the result however. They must have bet on The Rune Warriors, thinking they were guaranteed to win.

Constance was unsurprisingly happy, since her chosen team had made it. "So, what do you think?" She asked as she looked at Freya.

"Well… it was interesting…" She answered, not really paying attention to the noblewoman. She watched as the four teams left the arena – 'The Mikos' did not bother putting their clothes back on – and the bald man that had introduced the first group of teams returned.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Again his loud voice reached everyone. "I hope you enjoyed the show! Now it is time for the next twelve teams to appear before you. You already know the rules, so without further ado, here are the next competitors!" With his hand the man pointed towards the same dark entrance. A group of five was already coming out, apparently impatient to begin.

The five were all women wearing purple dresses and holding short bows. "Team 'The Sorceresses'! They are a well-known team that has proven many times how good they are with magic, but this is an archery tournament. They have already shown us they can be quick and accurate with their bows, but will that be enough to bring them to the finals? If they do make it to the finals you get 1000 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

Interesting. None of the previous teams got such a detailed intro… Freya noticed.

Next were five men wearing some sort of metal armor, with stars painted on their breastplates. All five were holding longbows. "Team 'Starfall'! As some of you may know they have already won a minor archery tournament, but this one is on a whole different level. Can they win here? We will soon know. If they do make it to the finals you get 1000 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

Next were two women and three men, all of them wearing leather armor and holding bows. "Returning after taking a month-long break, here is team 'Black Arrows'! They seemed quite skilled the last time they were here, but are they in top form after their break? And even if they are, will that be enough against the other teams? If they do make it to the finals you get 900 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The next team consisted of four women and one man, all of them holding crossbows and wearing bone armor. "Team 'True Shot'! They have come looking for some payback after previously losing to Bronwen. But if they want to get any they must first make it to the finals! If they do get there you will receive 900 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The following team consisted of four men holding crossbows and a woman holding a bow. All five were wearing black leather armor. "Team 'Arrow'! They already challenged one champion, and though they lost they fought valiantly! Now they seek to challenge another! But first they must make it to the finals. If they do get there you will receive 900 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The sixth team consisted of five bearded dwarves wearing dwarven armor and wilding dwarven crossbows. "Please welcome team 'Victory'! As many of you no doubt know they are formidable opponents when holding axes or hammers. Here they are a bit out of their elements, but you can bet that won’t stop them! As their leader put it: 'Who can resist the temptation of gangbanging Bronwen'? Bet on them and if they make it to the finals you will get 800 for every 100 coins!"

Next came a team consisting of two women and three men. The men had chosen bows while the women were holding crossbows. All five were wearing black metal armor. "Team 'The Greats'! Their skills with a spear are well known but many doubted their skills with bows and crossbows. So far they have proven the naysayers wrong. Anyone who underestimates them will regret it. If they make it to the finals you get 800 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The next team consisted of four women and a person that was either a feminine-looking guy or a flat-chested girl – Freya could not tell. All five were wearing silver armor with runes on it but once again Freya could not take a good enough look at said runes. They had chosen crossbows as their weapons. "Team 'Avalon'! A relatively new team that has shown a lot of promise in the past. This is their first major tournament. How far will they get? If they make it to the finals you get 800 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The ninth team consisted of five men wearing black cloaks and holding bows. "Team 'Viper'! They are well known for being quick and deadly with any weapon! But here they will need more than speed if they wish to claim victory! If they make it to the finals you get 700 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The following team was also an all-men team. All five were wearing plate armor and holding crossbows. "Team 'The Wanderers'! They have won several tournaments, but never an archery one, much less one this big and challenging. Will they claim yet another victory, or are they overestimating their skills? If they make it to the finals you get 600 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The eleventh team consisted of five women wearing dresses and holding bows. They all gave off an aura of confidence, as if this battle was but a formality. "Team 'Dangerous Beauties'! On multiple occasions they have proven just how dangerous they can be! Now they are aiming to earn their first fight against a champion! If they get to the finals you get 500 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

The last team was not what Freya would have expected. The five were all women. The first one was wearing metal armor with small yellow runes on it. The second was wearing a revealing dress that would be better suited for a party than for the arena. The third one was wearing a bra and a skirt made out of leaves and vines. The fourth was wearing a white dress that would seem conservative… if it wasn’t completely see-through. And the last one… was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, still wet as if she had been swimming right before the tournament. As far as Freya could see none of the five had a weapon. "And last, but most definitely not least, team 'Elenia'! As many of you no doubt know one should never judge them by their looks or the clothes they have chosen to wear. They already challenged Bronwen once, and now seek to do it again. Can they do it? More importantly, can they defeat her this time, or will they get ass-raped again? If they get to the finals you get 400 for every 100 coins you bet on them!"

With the introductions over the man left the arena while the new teams waited for the start of the battle. Freya turned towards Constance. "Those are some… interesting teams."

"Indeed. Makes me wonder what the third group’s teams are like…"

As Freya looked over the new teams, wondering whether to bet on any of them or not, she was surprised to notice that she had gotten slightly more aroused…

Vote:
A. Bet 100 coins on a team
A1. Bet on 'The Sorceresses'
A2. Bet on 'Starfall'
A3. Bet on 'Black Arrows'
A4. Bet on 'True Shot'
A5. Bet on 'Arrow'
A6. Bet on 'Victory'
A7. Bet on 'The Greats'
A8. Bet on 'Avalon'
A9. Bet on 'Viper'
A10. Bet on 'The Wanderers'
A11. Bet on 'Dangerous Beauties'
A12. Bet on 'Elenia'
B. Decide not to bet on any team and just watch the fight
C. Decide not to watch the rest of the tournament and go somewhere else – archery is not really Freya’s thing anyway
D. Do something else (specify)

X. Minor Action

Experience:
Combat Tactics: Experience +50 => 50/250

---

I didn't even notice how long this post has gotten...

 

Great fight scene, very well written!

Voting for option B. Decide not to bet on any team and just watch the fight.

Minor action: same as last turn, focus in learning team tactics and improving tactic skill.


Question, is the arousal caused by the arrow still in place?

 

Thanks, duskford. It's not the kind of thing I usually write so I wasn't sure how well it turned out.

I just made a couple of small edits to the end of the previous post. One points out team Elenia's (lack of) weapons, the other should answer your question (originally I was going to put it at the start of the next post, but after thinking about it I changed my mind).

 

Are you guys going to post this up as a story sometime?

 

C. Decide not to watch the rest of the tournament and go somewhere else – archery is not really Freya’s thing anyway

I want to visit shops and find an exit while Constance is busy watching the tournament.

 

Sorry Hvast, but agreeing with Duskford here on both action and minor action. Free XP is never a bad thing in my opinion lol.