7.116 - Terms

The time of reckoning had come.

Natalie found her way to the Coliseum well in advance of her scheduled time slot. She couldn't afford to miss this event. Not just because she wanted to put Elida in her place, but because she needed the token payout. She owed Vanetta a significant sum she could only repay through the payday the Coliseum represented.

An automaton guided her through the Coliseum into a waiting room with a portcullis leading into the arena. Natalie watched with interest—if a poor vantage point—as two women dueled.

Nervousness squirmed in her stomach. It had been a while since she had felt this level of anxiety over a fight. She hadn't been filled with so much nervous energy since maybe Tenet's qualification exams.

Sooner than felt right, the portcullis opened, and Natalie walked onto the battlefield. Across, in all her glory, strode Elida.

They met in the center.

"I was worried you wouldn't show," Elida said, smiling in a cocky way that Natalie saw through. The other girl was nervous too. She probably wanted to win as desperately as Natalie did.

"Of course I showed up for an easy win."

"Of course?" she quoted, immune to Natalie's snipe. "Looking forward to the rewards you might reap that much?" Her smile turned into a smirk. "Oh, and the tokens too."

Damn her, but Natalie's heart sped up at the innuendo. No, her excitement for this event was not because of whatever 'wagers' they would make, supernaturally enforced by the Coliseum.

Sticking her cock in this woman, or even near this woman, seemed as sensible as sticking it in a pit of vipers.

"I get the feeling you just thought something unkind about me," Elida mused. "Though, from my point of view, I might consider it flattering." She winked at Natalie, and her heart jumped again.

… no one had ever accused her of sensibility when it came to attractive women. No matter how much she despised Elida.

Or in this case, maybe because of that. Signals in her brain were definitely getting mixed up. The idea of shoving this girl on her knees and wiping that smirk off her face in the way she knew best sounded so intensely appealing that she had to stamp down on her imagination, because proving Elida's point by accidentally sprouting a raging erection would be beyond mortifying.

"Was that a twitch?" Elida asked, eyes flicking down. "Or did I imagine it?"

"Keep your fantasies to yourself," Natalie retorted. "I'm here for the tokens, that's it. And to see what you're made of."

The teasing—maybe mocking was more accurate—expression wiped away. Elida studied her with sudden interest. "The second part, we can agree on. My, my, I've been itching to see what you can do. The way you were holding back during our Ruins runs was just exhausting."

"What makes you think I was holding back?"

Elida gave her an unamused look. "Don't insult my intelligence. How do I know you were hiding your capabilities? Perhaps because our classes are two sides of the same coin, and I also have been."

Natalie's expression grew grim at the confirmation. Her grip tightened on her hammer.

"Good," Elida said, seeming pleased. "I would have been immensely unimpressed if you hadn't put that together. Strength doesn't matter if a genuine idiot is the one wielding it. You might be rash, but I don't take you as a complete idiot."

"Thanks," she replied dryly.

"It does feel rather frustrating, though, that we didn't let loose like we should've. We could've made a tidier profit during our stay here."

Natalie shrugged. "Nothing was strong enough to deserve it. We cleared every fight fine. A bit faster wouldn't have mattered much."

"I suppose that's true."

A change above them drew their attention. She looked up at the enormous illusory screen elevated above the arena. The screen that would display their fight … and the consequences for losing.

"Looks like we finally get to see the terms of the duel," Elida mused.

Somehow Natalie had half-forgotten about the public nature of their fight. At the reminder of the screen—the screen that would be displaying them in massive, perfect detail for the audience—she couldn't stop herself from glancing at the viewing areas, no matter how curious she was about the terms of the fight.

She did a double take.

"Surprised?" Elida asked. "Our team made an impression in the City. Of course it did. And you especially. Those women are quite infatuated with that … hammer of yours," she laughed, with a hint of subdued irritation.

The viewing areas were packed. She'd only gone to a few Coliseum fights, but she didn't remember nearly this many people being present. And it was indeed predominantly women—but also plenty of men.

This many people had come to see her and Elida fight?

Probably not fight. Their interest was for what came after, she assumed.

"There's so many of them," Natalie groaned. "This is mortifying."

"No disagreements there."

Natalie could tell Elida meant it. She wasn't sure whether Elida outright disliked the idea of these upcoming indiscretions being displayed to a crowd of more than a hundred—more than a hundred—but she at least wasn't blissfully at ease.

As a daughter of a major house, the Parda-Halts, she supposed Elida's image mattered a lot more than her own. She had forgotten to consider that angle.

She wrenched her eyes away to read the words on the illusory screen—the words that would determine the shape of this duel.

TRUTH AND DARE, the bolded words at the top read.

The two combatants will engage in a best-of-three series of duels, to death or incapacitation. The victor of each fight will be awarded a Truth and a Dare. All questions must be answered in full by the spirit of the wording. Likewise, all Dares must be completed in the same manner.

Refusal or failure will result in disqualification, severe punishment, and ejection from the City.

She looked sideways to see what Elida made of it. The amusement that had been present since the start slid off the girl's face. Her eyes narrowed, and she turned to Natalie, deadly serious.

"Well. This poses a problem. I will refuse here and now, Natalie, and accept the punishment whatever it may be, unless you permit a condition of mine."

Elida's usual attitude was nowhere to be seen. Natalie was taken aback by how grave she'd grown. And she could take a few guesses why.

"You've got more than a few secrets to keep under wraps, if I had to guess."

"Quite." She paused for several seconds. "But not from you." She relaxed slightly. "In fact, this poses an opportunity because what we say to each other has a guarantee of truth. I expect I can clear up some misconceptions. We aren't enemies—or don't have to be." Her eyes searched Natalie's face. "But what you learn stays with you."

That was an interesting preface. "Even if I said yes, how could you trust me?"

"You seem like that sort of idiot," Elida said plainly. "Who values 'her word'. Don't mistake me. If I had any choice in the matter, I would never rely on something as frivolous as trust in someone's character. But if you swear to me that no matter what I say, it remains with you … hm. It isn't like I'm drowning in options."

Natalie frowned. She didn't get the feeling Elida was bluffing. If she refused to make that promise, Elida would forfeit and accept punishment.

She didn't particularly want to learn what 'severe punishment' meant coming from the City of Eros. And less importantly, but also relevant, Natalie couldn't afford to lose the tokens they would earn from this, nor could the team as a whole afford to lose Elida.

"It seems only fair I'd get something in return," Natalie pointed out.

Elida relaxed further, the seriousness draining and her smirk returning. "I could make it up to you later, if you so desire." She batted her eyes. "In any way you please."

Natalie hated how her loincloth jumped slightly at that. "I'll be getting plenty of your body when I win."

"Oh?" Elida seemed delighted. "So blunt. Getting into the spirit, are you? Then—I could extend the same offer, and keep whatever I learn to myself. But I get the feeling your trust in me doesn't extend far."

"That implies it extends at all."

Elida spread her hands. "We're at an impasse. Will you extort me for my tokens?"

That suggestion … didn't feel great. Nor did extorting her for anything else. She sensed she could get something out of Elida, but, to her annoyance, she realized she wouldn't feel comfortable with it.

Natalie grimaced. "Fine," she said. "What I say to you stays a secret too."

"Deal. Swear on it?"

Natalie hesitated. What if Elida revealed something truly heinous? Elida hadn't said anything about Natalie acting on what she learned, though, and her teammates trusted her enough to help her even if she didn't explain why … so, lacking many options either, she reluctantly said, "I swear."

"As do I," Elida said, running a finger over her heart in two diagonal strokes. She seemed like she meant it. "Well, then. Let the games begin."