Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2010 02:03:46 -0700
From: ecclectic_soul@hotmail.com
Subject: Gladiator: Chapter 3, Him

Hey guys! It's been months since my last submission, and I sincerely
apologize to all the readers who were waiting. I've been so busy, but
things have slowed down in recent weeks, so here is the third installment
in my story. This chapter is leading into the main adventure of my
storyline, and the scenes in the chapters after this are sure to make you
whip out the lube so stay posted! Happy reading!


Gladiator: Chapter 3, Him


	It was cold, the damp subterranean air choking my breath as I
followed Aella into the deep recesses of the gladiatorial dungeons. Our
passage was but a whisper among the uproar of sounds surrounding us–some
laughing, others weeping, and still others talking to themselves or
others...all to reclaim some semblance of the life they once had. The only
lights to lead us were small torches, flickering softly at intervals as we
descended further into the darkness.

	Robbed of daylight, my other senses came alive. The pungent,
jaw-clenching odor of unwashed bodies was enough to turn a grown man's
stomach twice over. I could taste it in my mouth, a moment when your saliva
suddenly becomes alien and assaults the tongue–it took much of my
willpower not to spit it out. I had thought to hold onto the walls, but a
cold slime greeted my fingers, as if the very stones were soaked in the
blood of the fallen. I kept close to my Domina, nervous but
silent. Reaching the bottom of the flight of steps, I turned the corner and
stopped as Aella raised her hand slightly. Her voice was a soft contralto
as she spoke without turning.

	"We stand before the Underworld of the Empire. Like the doorway of
Avernus, this barrier keeps the most feared of the gladiators from
communicating with the others. Such associations could lead to an uprising,
for these men were once leaders and wielded power not to be
underestimated...or trusted."

	"Yes, Domina."

	My voice cracked in fear, echoing down the sparsely lit corridor as
Aella stepped forward. A large ring of keys suddenly appeared from within
the folds of her cloak and taking the largest key in her hand, she pushed
it into the keyhole. There was a resounding click followed by a hiss of
cool air as I helped her pull open the heavy wooden door. We treaded softly
into the new chamber and I turned to pull the door closed.

	"Hold!" She placed a hand on my arm, stopping me. "Do not ever
presume that we are safe in such a place. We are in the presence of death."

	I lifted my hand from the door, leaving it slightly ajar. Turning
to the dark space within, I noticed in a sudden moment of shock that the
odors that had assaulted us on our journey were greatly diminished. We
stood in a large circular area roughly forty paces in diameter and ringed
by ten cells. Small torches flickered in between each cell and gave our
eyes light enough to see the cleanly swept stones beneath us. I looked up
and noticed a small grate above the chamber from which the air was
circulated in and out. A curious tension greeted us, something akin to the
breath being held in the instant before an expected attack.

	Muffled noises drifted from the cell to my immediate right as my
Domina walked forward into the center of the chamber. I slipped from her
side and crept toward the cell, feeling my insides turn as I expected some
horrific sight to sear itself upon my vision. As my eyes adjusted to the
darkness, shapes and gleams of light began to take shape. They were moving,
and I quickly understood that I was witnessing a gladiator having his way
with a slave boy. The boy, probably my age, was gagged and moaning softly
through the cloth shoved in his mouth. The gladiator, a gleaming heavily
muscled man with long dark hair, had the boy in the crook of his left arm
holding the boy's left leg up with his left hand, while the fingers of his
right hand jack hammered the boy's tight, eager ass. As the boy's sweaty
body shivered and twisted on the gladiator's greedy fingers, the
long-haired warrior turned his head and in seeing me, grinned. I gasped and
backed away from his cell, fearful of my sudden impulse to want those
fingers inside of me yet mindful that those same hands had killed countless
men.

	I turned swiftly and ran over to my Domina. She was standing before
the cell directly opposite the door to the chamber, her face immobile as
she stared into the darkness beyond the metal grate. A strange shiver
crawled up my spine, and the instant it did, I knew the gaze of the Phoenix
was upon me. My heart pounded violently within my chest, as my breath
suddenly came in labored spouts. What seemed like countless moons had
passed since that first encounter in the bathing room where carnal
pleasures had taken hold of my young body...and my heart. My thoughts had
been consumed with the touch of his skin, the briny scent of his sweat, and
those deep pools of emerald green that set my pulse on fire. The taste of
his engorged cock still teased my tongue's memory as I licked my lips in
anticipation.

	Moving slowly into the flickering glow of the torches, the Phoenix
approached the rusting bars of his prison. His gleaming eyes held Aella in
their sight, his expression mirroring the stone walls of his cell as if he
had been carved from the same mold. There were words being said without
sound as they stared at one another for a long moment. His deep, rough
whisper finally broke the silence as the right edge of his lips curved up
into a mocking grin.

	"Your loins risked death to have me, and yet you return?" A few
voices chuckled in the darkness surrounding us. My Domina smiled sweetly,
stepping forward and removing the hood of her cloak.

	"Charming as always, gladiator. But my loins are risking more than
just death to give you the one thing you want above all else." Her eyes
sparkled as she measured his reaction. His left eyebrow tilted upward and
his grin widened as his gaze fell between her legs.

	"What might that be, Domina?"

	"Freedom." She let the word fall into the silence and as it did,
the very air seemed to exit the space in which we stood. The Phoenix wiped
any trace of humor he had from his face, and regarded Aella with a look
that made the hair upon my neck prickle. Aella continued now that she had
his full attention. "Of course, there is something that I need from you..."

	The Phoenix held his breath and waited.

	"Your prowess in the Great Arena is now common knowledge among the
citizens of Rome. It is for this reason alone that such an opportunity is
being afforded to you, Phoenix. The Emperor Trajan is planning to launch a
war against the Parthian empire, and he requires strong and able men to
execute this noble task. However, there is a more pressing matter which
requires only a small group of men, but the kind of vicious skill that can
only show its face in the heat of the arena."

	Aella took a deep breath and glanced around before stepping closer
to his cell and lowering her seductive contralto to a whisper. "Once the
Emperor marches upon Armenia, he will hold their Parthian-appointed king in
custody. We need you to make sure his custody is...how shall I put it?
Permanent? Once you have done this, I want you and your men to gain access
into the Armenian treasury and secure a portion of it for the Lysander
household. My husband wishes to increase his power in the Senate, and the
fortune you deliver will ensure the success of this...as well as your
freedom."

	The Phoenix stared at her for a long moment and then suddenly
smiled, his teeth gleaming in the torchlight. He laughed, his deep chuckle
tickling my spine. "By the gods, you have bigger balls than any man I've
ever met, Domina! For the sake of the sky upon my eye and soil beneath my
feet, I shall oblige you in this task."

	"Wonderful! I promise you will not regr–" Her voice was suddenly
cut off as the Phoenix raised his hand to stop her.

	"I have but one request in addition to my freedom...a small thing
to consider in the wake of what you may yet achieve."

	It was now the Domina's turn to raise her eyebrow, hesitant to hear
his words but curious nonetheless. She smiled sweetly once again, her voice
deceptively calm. "Yes?"

	The Phoenix suddenly turned his head and looked at me. It was the
first time I had seen his eyes lay upon me since we had entered the
chamber. I could not place the emotions that rippled across his normally
implacable face, but the nerves of my skin danced and sent shivers all
through my body. His gaze was so intense that my Domina turned, perhaps
worrying that she would find me dead upon the ground when she did. Her
confusion was only exceeded by my surprise as his muscled arm lifted and
the index finger of his left hand pointed directly at me. The roughness of
his voice, deep and resonant in its continual hold upon me, formed only a
single word as to what he wanted.

	"Him."