Thousand upon thousands of feet stomped on the ground above.
Titan could picture the huge dust cloud that must be covering the landscape above as hundreds of men and women struggling to push against the tide entering the colosseum.
The shouts of the crowd outside travel down into the pits below. Titan eyes the fresh meat in the corner cowering in fear. The poor man is crouched down low, with his skinny arms wrapped around his head of thin hair.
Titan remembers his first day in the pits, covered in his own sweat and piss, not unlike the young man. He hadn’t been washed in months, his previous master having refused claiming that the water was saved for free men, not slaves.
He had been beaten for that, beaten in his own cell minutes before his first fight because he smelt so bad. He had given his cellmates the perfect release for the nervous energy you feel before potential death, and so he entered the circle already battered and bruised.
But that hadn’t stopped him from winning. He had ruthlessly killed his foe before they’d even had the chance to raise a sword, winning him the attention of the king and the thousands above. Titan had drunk that glory like a starving man, and never looked back, climbing his way to the top to become the most successful fighter to enter the colosseum.
Fast forward a decade, he is no longer a poor skinny boy quivering uncontrollably, he is a warrior.
Lost in his reverie as he is, Titan missed the klaxon sound signalling the start of the games. He realises only as the floor begins to rumble below, raising them up to arena height.
Slowly the dark cell becomes lighter as the atmosphere outside penetrates deep into the cell. The dark faces of his slave brothers become softer in the bright light, but no less fierce.
Here in front of him are ten seasoned gladiators, men who fought and killed beside him for years. Alongside his brothers are another ten men, slaves added to the games to replace the dead. Men who have tasted blood before but not to this extent.
The noise finally becomes deafening, all that can be heard is the roar of the thousands of blood-hungry men and women in the stands above.
Titan does a quick scan of this week’s crowd as the sun shines in his eyes. They seem drunker than usual, more violent as they scream and shout. They are packed in tighter than the weeks prior and he watches as a brawl breaks out high up in the stands.
As usual, in the rows closest to the pit floor sit the dignitaries; politicians and anyone with enough money to bribe the colosseums guard to get the best seats. They sit more spaced apart, the better position offering benefits but they seem no less drunk and no less violent.
Titan looks to the bright cloudless sky. He stares as he has done a thousand times before, at the two colossal planets hovering in the sky, silhouetted gently by the blazing sun.
Some of the front row hail from the two orbs, Kasim and Ivon, or so he’d been told, by a young woman who was thrown into the cell one week. She insisted that it was the truth, but Titan didn’t believe her. He’d heard talk of chariots that could move between his land and the ones in the sky but like all things, he must see it to believe.
Suddenly the crowd fell silent. At the far end of the structure in a purpose-built spacious stone box, stood a tall man dressed entirely in white and gold. The king had his hand raised to hush the crowd and the colosseum guards were doing their best to relay his command.
Titan could hear nothing of what was said, although he had heard the speech enough times now to know. Instead, he was focused on the battlefield around him.
Three groups of twenty men had sporuted from the sand and Titan began walking away from his group. They may be his slave brothers but he owed them no allegiance. Names were purposefully kept to themselves in this line of work. You could befriend a man one week and be forced against him the week after, so it was best to keep contact to a minimum.
He would not kill a man from his cell, but it wasn’t unheard of for a sick, free-for-all twist at the end of a set of games, or the occasional glory hunter looking to slay the great Titan. So he kept away.
In the far distance, he could make out at least four towering figures, two in one group and one each for the other two. These are some of the men who claim to be from Kasim, one of the lands in the sky. They almost always grow freakishly tall, stronger than two men and more bloodthirsty than a starving bear.
He noticed now a group of the tall men in the front row of the crowd, eagerly watching and gesticulating at the men in the pit, even as the king spoke.
But the crowd drew Titans attention as they suddenly roared again. The king finished his speech and returned to his seat, waving to the guard to sound the klaxon.
As he did, Titan slipped his two axes from his back with practised movement and began stalking low to the group closest. Already a man had peeled away from the group, with another not far behind him.
Titan ran across the baking dirt towards the man, closing the distance before he had a chance to react. The man managed to raise his sword above his head in a weak strike as he ran but he left himself open to the axe Titan had launched through the air, burying it deep into his chest.
From his position not ten feet away he could hear the distinct crack of the man’s sternum breaking in two beneath the strength of his throw.
Titan continued his run without slowing, picking his axe from the man’s chest as he went past, taking the momentum straight into the next gladiator.
This man held a short sword and shield. He stabbed multiple thrusts at Titan, keeping his shield up to stop any attacks and pressing forward with desperation. The man feared him, he could see it in his eyes.
Titan hopped back lightly from each thrust and waited for the man to over extend. No sooner had he done so, Titan ducked the thrust and stepped to the man’s left where he wasn’t protected by his shield arm. Then, with a horizontal swing Titan chopped his axe into the man’s rib cage, burying the blade inbetween the third and fourth rib.
Screaming in pain the doomed man tried to bring his sword back in a downward strike to Titans head, but he had moved to a safe distance almost as soon as his blow had landed. Leaving his axe protruding from the poor mans body. With his remaining weapon Titan lopped the mans sword arm off at the wrist, bringing further screams of agony and pain as the hot blood squirted from the wound, covering his chest and dripping down.
Another quick swing and the screaming ended.
Titan looked up, his focus wavering as the sweet sound of exaltation from the crowd washed over him, threatening to drown him amidst the excitement.
The rest of the men in the sand were fighting pitted battles. He was far from his original group who had stayed in their position, shields raised to create a barrier and were currently engaged with the group belonging to the two men laying at his feet. In the distance the other two teams were fighting similar battles but more spread apart. For whatever reason the two groups had not been given shields this time, so their fights were quick and bloody.
Titan watched as two of the Kasim giants fought shoulder to shoulder, decimating the competition with their incredible size and strength, swinging great war axes with the deft efficiency of men carving wheat.
But he had been focused on the other battle for too long. A shadow fell over him from behind and had no time to turn, instead he dived forward instinctively and rolled with his momentum as far as he could. Quickly he leapt up to face his attacker. It was one of the other giants.
Behind his enemy was the remaining giant, its head a messy collection of blood, bone and brains spread on the sand floor.
This beast held a huge spiked club, easily as long as Titan was tall and swung it fast with concetrated power.
The natives of Kasim speak little and shout often, known for their brutality and power. They are popular warriors, especially in the bloody sport of gladiator matches, but they are often expensive, especially well trained ones. This one seems to be neither Titan thinks as he dodges each swing easily. Giants need giant food and Titan can clearly see the signs of malnourishment in the big man’s gaunt cheeks.
A sweeping swing of his club causes Titan to dive forward, into the body of the giant, throwing himself between his wide legs.
He springs lightly up to his feet and swings for the giants back, but as he does so the big beast steps forward letting the axe bite a deep but not fatal gash.
A roar sounds from the crowd as the giant trips and falls to his knees, but he is still able to bring his club round for a swing at Titans midriff which connects with a solid impact.
Titan is sent flying my the huge swing but gains his legs quickly. Rushing back to the fight, the giant is now back on his feet, blood pouring from the wound in his back and leaking down his legs in a sort of macabre red cape.
He strikes again, this time overhead, the attack Titan has been waiting for. He scoops low and grabs a fist full of the sand, launching it in the man’s face.
His opponent stops and sputters. Titan uses the moment of distraction to under arm throw his axe, sending it deep into the stomach of his enemy. The axe hits home and he wastes no time throwing his remaining weapon straight at the head of the giant man. Blood pours from the wound and covers the man’s heavy brow quickly, dripping down from his sharp jaw.
Titan leaps back in an effort to avoid any last ditch death swings but he is safe. The big man is dead before his bloody back hits the sand.
No sooner had the body dropped the klaxon to end the match sounds.
Titan looks up in shock. He’d been so busy concentrating on his enemy, that he hadnt realised just how close the battle was. Bodies litter the sand, slowly leaking red blood and stain into the floor.
Pit slaves begin leaping the barriers to begin finishing off any gladiators that sustained debilitating wounds and then clearing the bodies away.
The crowd’s noise had not stilled. Mugs of beer are thrown into the pit, as are flowers and other spectator paraphernalia. Titan lifted his arms and spread them wide, to give the people what they want as the shouting grows louder.
Exaltation filled him. No matter how many times he survived these battles, the feeling of power and glory never lessoned. Walking from the pit he greeted his group. They were all smiles now, for even the new slaves knew what was coming next.
They had won, so they got to claim their reward.
The men were shackled together, with short chains attached to the wrists and feet and taken back down into the hypogeum.
They were led through a maze of tunnels and corridors until finally they stopped at a large wooden door. The men kept quiet, some recounting the gruesome acts they had just performed and others excited for what was to come.
One by one each gladiator was led through the door and inside was a tall man wearing colourful clothes of silk and velvet. He stood before a row of gorgeous women. Unlike the gladiators, these women were unchained, each being a professional in the line of work and happy to accept the payment.
The excitement in the air became almost palpable as the tall man began pairing each woman with a gladiator.
Soon there was only Titan left and a small woman with braided white hair.
“And for you, as always, Great Warrior.” The tall man said with a bow and a flourish of a hand.
The young woman stepped forward. A small yet satisfied smile playing on her lips.
Titan broke into a broad grin. Oh how he had missed her.
He took a moment to appreciate her beauty, as he always did. She was gorgeous. With her deep green eyes, beautiful full smile and pale curvy figure she could make any man weep. Her exotic white hair tinged ever so slightly with yellow was braided into two long plaits flowing down her back.
Unprovoked, an image rose in his mind, an image of his fist wrapped in those braids whilst he passionately thrust into her from behind.
Her dress of blue was tied at the nape of her neck and flowed loosely over her curvy figure. Titan took another moment to appreciate the beauty of the girl as her dark eyebrows quirked up in mock amusement at his gaze.
At that expression and small smile, Titan felt a stirring deep between his legs, she knew what he was thinking.
Soon the two were alone in a room. She quietly led him to the large bath, where she bathed him of the gore and sweat of battle.
Casually undressing him with the lightest of touches. This had become a routine, her washing him gently whilst he stewed in his own sexual tension and arousal. She wouldn’t let him touch her, not once, instead letting the excitement build between the two of them.
Titan basked in her attention though. Her touch was infinitely better than any crowd roaring his name he thought, as he stared at her hard nipples pressing against the fabric of her dress.
Slowly she washed his muscly arms and torso, before going further down, sinking her hands into the warm water to scrub his legs. Teasingly she brushed against his member, his member that had stood proud since the start of this process.
He groaned lightly at her teasing and she continued the rest of the bath with utilitarian practility. Smiling the whole time.
An agonisingly long time later Titan was clean. No sooner had she stepped back to allow him to climb from the bath, he leapt from the water. Picking her up by the waist he lifted her high and carried her towards the bed in the corner as she giggled mischievously at his actions.
Still laughing Titan threw her onto the bed and the two began a heated kiss, with all their frustrations and desire spilling into it.
But before things could continue, she places a finger on his chest to push him away. Titan complies, the irony not lost on him that a man his size and strength is so willing to do her bidding.
With careful grace she sits up and begins to undo the plaits of her braid, all the while staring intently into Titans eyes.
Love is an emotion not often associated with the violence of a gladiator. But Titan has loved this small, beautiful woman since the first night they spent together. Fuck the crowds he thought, this is the reason he stayed.
Finally she was done, whipping her head to let the curtain of blonde fall upon her shoulders and Titan was at her lips again.
The heat began to build higher and higher as they both tried to remove her dress, laughing together as they got in each other’s way trying to undo the same buttons.
Then it was off and Titan indulged in the beauty that she was.
Her breasts stood firm and round, light pink nipples standing out against her pale skin. Between her legs was a dark patch of hair that Titan could see was already glistening with wetness.
By this point the lovers knew what each other liked. Titan ran kisses starting from her neck and flowing slowly downwards, teasing her as she had done to him.
Soon though she grabbed his large head and forcibly pushed him between her legs, where he began energetically licking her sweet nectre.
He took his time, savouring every sweet taste of her, building her up and up, watching for the queues in her body that she was close to climax. She began to moan, louder and louder, her fists clenched the sheets of the bed and her face tightened. But Titan stopped. She let out a groan, playfully hitting the side of his head in mock annoyance but he smiled and took his mouth away, focusing instead on kissing her thighs gently and rubbing his fingertips along the tips of her nipples.
When he felt like her sensitivity had lessened enough, he began again. Slowly letting his tongue run from the bottom to the top of her sex, focusing on the top for a while as he felt her body begin to tense.
Then gently he licked his own finger and inserted it inside as she let a low moan.
Titan kept the finger inside, pressing on her pleasure spot as he focused his attention back on her sex and began to increase his tempo. As he did so her moans turned into gasps, hands once again clenching the sheets in pleasure as her noises became more and more frequent.
Suddenly her body arched off of the bed, legs clenching tightly around Titans head and with a huge exhalation the beautiful woman came. Titan felt her juices flood his mouth and eagerly drank as much as he could, with the liquid spilling from either side of his lips as she quickly overwhelmed him.
He drank greedily but she quickly pushed him away and ushered him onto the bed as well. Then, slowly, she crouched above his member, letting his head brush lightly at the still sensitive lips of her sex, before sitting down and letting his member slip deliberatly inside of her.
Not for the first time that night she let out a quiet curse as his size stretched her, but soon she had sunk the whole way down.
Gently she gyrated her hips, twisting in motions that did incredible things for Titan, sending lances of pleasure from his tip. Then it was his turn to gasp and curse as this woman rode him like none before.
She bounced up and down, her white hair bouncing with each movement, a sound coming from both of them as she did so.
When Titan was close to coming he reached his hand up to her throat. He tightened his fingers there as she stared into his eyes, begging him to take control.
His lust overwhelmed him at the sincerity in her gaze and he threw her to the side, positioning himself on top of her. Hand still at her throat he began to push deep and fast inside her. Her face began to take on a deep shade of red at the restricted airflow, but her eyes locked with his. Titan knew how far she could go.
He began to thrust faster and faster, watching as her face went from red to purple and her eyes began to roll slowly back into her head, before he finally let go.
She gasped a deep breath, sucking in precious oxygen as pleasure overwhelmed her.
Titan felt his climax coming and so he thrust harder, dark eyes locked on the nymph below him.
He could feel her constrictions and wetness with every thrust, filling the room with the moist slap of their intercourse. Their cries began to synchronise as the euphoria built. Titan buried his head into her neck and she wrapped herself around him.
The two came together, both screaming out their pleasure as they pushed against one another in an effort to be as close as possible. Liquid gushed from her again and it splattered hot against Titan, dripping down from his balls and legs.
The two spent the rest of the evening bathing in the afterglow of sex and talking into the night.
Once she had fallen asleep, he made an exit and returned to his cell.