A loud, heavy silence fell over the crowd, a rare moment where the noise of the PARADIM ceased. All eyes were on Voldrak, shifting between the colossal beast that lay dead and the slave who had brought it down.
Voldrak would have relished in the intensity of the silence, allowing them to fully absorb what he had just done, but he knew he didn't have much time. He was about to speak when a booming announcement cut through the stillness, reverberating in the ears of everyone present.
"THE BEAST HAS BEEN DEFEATED. THE SLAVE IS FREE!"
The voice had barely echoed in his ears when he felt a subtle light fall over him, streaming along his skin. Symbols, ones he had seen before on Flonda, began to flicker to life across his body, glowing briefly before dissolving into the air.
Voldrak instinctively tried to trace the source, only to be struck with a headache so severe that it nearly sent him to his knees. The sharp, metallic scent of blood filled his throat, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay upright. All he could discern from his efforts was that the source came from the highest podium, where only the elite sat.
"AS CUSTOM REQUIRES, HE IS ALLOWED TO PICK A SLAVE!" The voice thundered again.
Voldrak was still puzzling over what that meant when he saw the familiar figure of Shael, the slave master, enter the podium with a line of slaves trailing behind him. Their heads were bowed in submission, forming five straight rows of men and women.
His gaze swept over them, settling on Flonda, who stood at the very end of the last row, her left arm bound tightly to her shoulder with cloth. Her chest was wrapped as well, and her face was pale with pain.
"The ones in the front row are the best!" Shael spoke with a deferential bow, but Voldrak barely heard him, his eyes fixed on Flonda. She was the last in line, signifying how low she was ranked among the slaves.
"I pick her," Voldrak said firmly, pointing at Flonda before Shael could continue with his pitch.
Shael, undeterred, tried again. "I can assure you the front row—"
"I have made my decision," Voldrak snapped, his patience wearing thin as his body threatened to collapse from the strain of the dark energy he had summoned. It hadn't been much, but it had been enough to drain him dangerously close to unconsciousness.
After the sharp rebuke, Shael nodded, and without another word, began leading the other slaves away. He ordered Flonda to stay, and Voldrak, expecting to see resentment in her eyes, was surprised to find relief instead. She stepped forward and, without hesitation, dropped to her knees in front of him.
'What now?' Voldrak thought, his frustration mounting, just as the booming voice echoed through the arena once more.
"STATE YOUR NEW NAME AS A FREE MAN AND GIVE ONE TO YOUR FIRST SLAVE!"
Voldrak didn't hesitate. "I, Voldrak Black, take Floyda as my new slave," he said, satisfied to hear his voice carry through the arena, even though he had spoken in a low whisper.
"IT IS DONE! THE CEREMONY SHALL NOW COMMENCE!"
Before Voldrak could process the words, the symbols he had seen on Floyda's arms reappeared, glowing with a red shimmer before fading once more.
'Ceremony?' Voldrak muttered under his breath, frustrated by the idea of yet another ritual standing between him and rest.
His thoughts were cut short as he watched Floyda scoot closer, still on her knees, until she was positioned directly between his legs. She reached for the cloth tied around his waist, her hands trembling slightly as she prepared to part it.
"What are you doing?" he asked sharply, thankful that his voice didn't echo this time, as he watched her movements in confusion.
"The ceremony, my lord!" She instantly replied with a worried look on her face even as she didn't move her hand regardless of the bite in Voldrak's tone.
"…it has to be done in front of everyone?" Voldrak asked as he realized that the crowd's gaze was focused solely on him, something he hadn't minded when he had been killing the beast.
"It is ritual to prove that I belong to you my lord!"
Voldrak didn't respond and Floyda took that as permission to continue as she parted the cloth wrapped around his waist, to reveal his dick while eliciting a low gasp as she did so.
Her big brown eyes focused on his size which only began to grow as she ran her fingers against the length of it and moved her lips closer to kiss the tip.
Before she could continue, Voldrak opened his mouth to speak, not at all caring about a couple of admiring gasps he hears coming from the crowd.
"If you so much as try to take in my essence, I'll painfully rip out your tongue before turning you into dust!" He calmly told her, as he focused deadly dark eyes on her.
Satisfied to see her pale a little as she instantly shook her head.
"I wouldn't dare to my lord! I'm a slave now. Towards you, I am bound to only give!" She said and again Voldrak didn't respond as he watched her continue, parting her lips to take in the tip of his hardened member.
Sliding it into the wetness and softness of her mouth, her tongue swirling around it as she took in even more of him.
The pleasure that slowly began to course through his body was unfamiliar, almost like a sensation he had long forgotten, yet he found that he didn't dislike it.