BloodStar

Nero walked to the perimeter of the arena floor directly opposite of where Xenia sat with Constance in her lap. His crimson red robe covered his entire body and fell to the arena floor moving with his long stride as he reached to open a door.

The door creaked as he opened it allowing the rays of sun to shine in a previously dark room causing the two occupants within to squint as they held their arms up shielding their eyes from the sudden brightness.

Nero offered no greeting as he instead grabbed a single large chain near the door and began to drag it out. As he did, the two occupants were dragged closely behind with it. The chain Nero dragged connected to the neck collars around the prisoners.

As Nero dragged them across the arena floor towards Xenia, a hushed buzz of interest rushed through the crowd and Xenia edged towards the end of her seat with a gleeful smile.

As he approached the throne, Nero turned to bloodbend the two weakened prisoners to kneeling positions. He then turned and knelt himself as he raised his arms presenting the chain to his empress, “Empress Xenia BloodStar, I present to you the two disgraceful usurpers, Ramses and Zara.”

Xenia pat Constance playfully for her to stand from her lap, and then Xenia stood and descended the steps to face Nero, “What an exciting, wonderful, and thoughtful gift you have given me Nero.”

She looked past Nero making eye contact with Ramses and Zara who had since lifted their heads to look at Xenia, and Xenia shot them a devilish smile before addressing Nero, “My BloodStar Immortal Nero, rise! You have gifted me the disgraceful usurpers, you have gifted me blood troughs filled with the blood of my enemies, and you have gifted me my empire upon my return. You are truly worthy of being at my side as I rule.”

The crowd cheered with overwhelming approval until Xenia began again, “You have become much too powerful to wield a simple sword. My gift to you Nero…”

Xenia held her arm out forming a void portal, and a massive war hammer appeared floating near her open hand which she clenched around the shaft grabbing it firmly and then closing the portal, “… a weapon much more befitting of your strength. A war hammer.”

She walked closer to Nero while holding it and allowing him to inspect it, “Each aspect of the head has spikes created from void daggers allowing you to penetrate even the most stubborn ki defense, or offense for that matter. The hammer itself weighs 500 pounds preventing just anyone from wielding it. The shaft and head house an inner chamber filled with blood allowing you to bloodbend the hammer, even allowing you to throw it and retrieve it via bloodbending. And my favorite feature…”

Xenia ran her hand over Erika’s petrified face welded and sealed into the side of the hammer’s head capturing her screaming face for eternity, “The skull and face of the late Master Erika Sage on display to witness all of the BloodStar conquest and rule for the remainder of time.”

She dropped it to the ground causing a small rumble from the weight of the hammer and eyed Nero, “Go ahead. Pick it up.”

Nero bloodbent the shaft raising the hammer to his open palm without bending down to retrieve it. The hammer levitated directly into his palm smoothly, and Xenia ran up and grabbed the shaft with both hands near his grip with a smile.

She reveled in the obvious satisfaction and stupor on Nero’s face, “Did you see it? With every bloodbending a little something special occurs.”

Nero looked up and down the hammer until he saw a tear drop of blood being released from Erika’s face. The tear rolled down Erika’s face until it was reabsorbed by the hammer. Another tear began to roll down Erika’s petrified face as Xenia applied more bloodbending to the hammer.

This time she leaned in and licked Erika’s face along her cheek until she licked up the teardrop of blood.

Nero gripped the shaft with both hands feeling the ribbed contour of Erika's vertebral bodies from her spinal column built into it, and he held it like a warrior, “Our enemies shall weep just as Master Sage does at the sight of our power. I shall name this weapon Blood Cry!”

Nero then held the hammer over his head and let out a loud warrior’s yell. The crowd responded in kind yelling and shouting with Nero until the ground beneath their feet began to tremble and rumble due to the jubilation of cries.

Xenia watched Nero yell and the crowd respond to him. She felt a surge of happiness. Her very own BloodStar Immortal was loved not just by her but also the people she ruled. She thought to herself, “We are loved by our own and feared by all others. We are perfect together.”

As the cheers and hollering abated, Xenia grabbed Nero’s hand as they walked to face Ramses and Zara together. Xenia looked down at them, “As much as I miss our dear mother, I am oh so happy she isn’t here today to spare you and protect you both. You are traitors of the empire.”

She then motioned to Nero, “Darling, I thought it appropriate for Blood Cry’s first blood to be Ramses and Zara. Would you be so kind as to entertain your empress and her people?”

The crowd began to chant, “NERO! NERO! NERO! NERO! NERO!...”

Nero once again raised both hands in the air lifting Blood Cry with only one arm as he yelled. He then turned to Xenia, “Your gift exceeds any and all dreams, my empress. I am honored!”

Xenia smiled and clapped her hands together with excitement. She then turned to Ramses and Zara and playfully blew them a kiss and waved goodbye. Ramses and Zara remained in a kneeling position immobilized by Nero’s bloodbending.

Nero stepped in front of Ramses and grunted. He then swung the mighty war hammer, Blood Cry, over his head and down on Ramses’ head. The hammer’s weight combined with Nero’s strength allowed Nero’s strike to continue nearly unimpeded as it crushed Ramses’ head, body, and legs pulverizing his entire body in one blow. As the hammer struck the ground, blood, bone, and soft tissue was forcefully ejected out from underneath the hammer.

The majority of the blood and flesh splattered on Nero’s robes; however, a fair amount also covered Xenia’s beautiful dress.

Nero turned to apologize; however, Xenia read his thoughts before he could articulate them, and she shook her head, “I would’ve bloodbent it out of my path if I wanted to.” She then pointed to Zara, “This time make an even bigger mess for me… and on me.”

Nero nodded with a grunt, and he turned towards Zara who began to cry with tears rolling down her face. Nero positioned his hammer and then once again performed an overhead strike crushing Zara’s entire body in one fell swoop with even more force than before.

The extra force pulverized her into a million particles of blood, flesh, and bone dust which exploded outward on onward towards both him and Xenia.

Xenia let out a shriek of excitement as Zara splattered against her dress and face. Xenia had a hurried breath from the excitement, and she made eye contact with Nero as he turned around to face her.

Her face was covered in blood, and she pointed to her lips for Nero to kiss her clean. The crowd cheered at her flirtatious maneuver, and as Nero began to kiss and clean the blood off Xenia’s face the crowd erupted with cheers sending a tremor through the stadium.

As they were awash in the deafening cheers from the people of the BloodStar Empire, Xenia stopped him and whispered, “I have one more gift for you, Nero. Try to have some fun with him.”

Nero responded with a confused look until someone called out from behind him, “IT’S EASY TO KILL PEOPLE IN CHAINS!!!”

Nero whipped his head around to see Draxus who had just entered the arena floor geared in full armor, a helmet, and two swords.

The crowd went quiet with anticipation, and Draxus pointed a sword at Nero, “I hereby challenge you for the right to be at the side of our Empress Xenia! Do you accept or do you yield to me?”

Nero began to spin around and respond; however, Xenia stopped him and whispered in his ear once again, “Just a little foreplay I’ve arranged for us. Kill him quick, so I don’t have to wait. Or kill him slowly, so I can pleasure myself to your conquest. Either way, go make me a happy empress.”

The crowd began to chant, “NERO!! NERO!! NERO!! NERO!!...”

Nero then turned and raised his hammer high with one arm again, “WE FIGHT!!!”

Xenia smiled as she walked to the center of the arena clapping her hands, “Every great BloodStar wedding in history has a worthy challenger. Draxus’ challenge has been accepted!!”

The crowd proceeded to go wild as animal spirits began to take over. It needed no mention, no announcement. The crowd knew this was the number one ranked gladiator, Nero, versus the number two ranked gladiator, Draxus.

Nero shed his body-covering crimson robe to reveal his muscular body with only a miniscule red thong-like garment covering his crotch. Nero’s garment was nearly bursting at the seams as his massive cock pushed against the fabric hardly containing him.

Nero grunted and sneered at his challenger, Draxus, and he called out, “Hide in your armor if it makes you feel safe! I need none!”

Draxus smiled back at Nero, “A fool to the end then!”

As Nero and Draxus took their positions opposite one another, several royal attendants raised a large bed adorned with the finest silk sheets and pillows. Xenia stood next to the bed as it was prepared. She prepared to watch the fight and announced, “This BloodStar wedding will be no different than any other in history. The marriage will be publicly consummated here today.”

Xenia then stepped out of her dress and laid on the bed naked, “I’ll be waiting and watching right here. May the winner consummate our marriage today for all to see and take your place at my side!”

As Xenia’s naked body slinked into the silky sheets of the bed for all to see, the crowd became enamored with her beauty and sexuality. Everyone present knew her divine beauty was matched only be her insatiable and sadistic sexuality. Furthermore, the crowd now had to choose between feasting their eyes on their empress or on the world-class gladiator match for the privilege of being with the BloodStar Empress.

The crowd quite simply couldn’t believe their luck. Times had changed. The world had become more modern. Culture had changed. However, their empress held the values of the old ways of the BloodStar Empire, and the crowd, both in-person and all streaming spectators, not only had the pleasure of viewing a challenge fight but also a public consummation of the empress’s wedding. Events that had only been speculated on prior to this moment.

Xenia winked at Nero from her relaxed position laying on the bed with her head propped up against her hand. She then spoke to him through bloodbending, “On second thought, make this quick. I want the world to know the gap between you and second-best is unsurmountable. And also, Nero… fair warning… I’m a horny bitch right now. You know how I can get when I’m horny.”

Nero smiled back at her and returned her wink as he thought back to her, “Draxus couldn’t handle you on his best day. But me… do your worst.”

Xenia growled to herself and bit her lip so hard it began to bleed. She then whispered to herself, “See you soon, baby.”