Nestled in their cozy little home, two lovers embraced passionately. Though the days were long, they were never too tired to be affectionate. The comfort and joy they brought to each other was what made life bearable. Such was their romantic bliss.

That bliss would be interrupted one evening by a knock at the door.

Neither of the partners expected a visitor at this hour. Both quickly dressed and gave each other a brief kiss before they went to th

The sun had not quite set by the time we had reached the orc settlement. The Commander, Lieutenant, and I had travelled for almost an entire day to reach them. The Commander insisted that we not tarry, lest our foes strike a deal with the orcs first. The Lieutenant seemed less convinced, though she could not dispute the Commander's authority.







Still, once we had reached the outskirts of

When I awoke in my cage, it did not feel abnormal. After repeated conditioning from my mistress since she had captured me, it felt natural for me to be in such a place. The witch's magic suppressed any sense of impropriety that I might have felt over being repeatedly tortured, raped, and humiliated since she had defeated me. As far as I could tell, this is how I was meant to be treated, and as my mistress' pet, I had no right to complain about it.

It was my loss. I said as much as I dropped my weapon and fell to my knees before my adversary. With that, the duel was over. The crowd watched as the adjudicator approached us, holding a bottle and a collar with a leash.







The adjudicator spoke, loudly enough that the audience could hear, "I decree that this battle was fought fairly and the outcome is just. Now in accordance with th

Once the first webbing caught my legs, I knew it was over. I tried to struggle and cut at it with all my might, but all that did was entangle me more, until all I could do was wiggle and cry out feebly as I waited for my captor to collect me.







I didn't have to wait long.







The dri

I had already lost track of how long I had been a prisoner to the savage tribe that has captured us. Since we had been ambushed, they took their time tormenting us with their strange and terrifying customs. I could only look on helplessly in horror as they tortured, sacrificed, and ate my companions. By now I was the only one left, with nothing to do each day but wait for the day that I would meet the same fate.

Among the tribes, there is a long-held custom called the Rite of Submission. When two tribes enter an irreconcilable conflict, the chiefs of each tribe will meet and hold a public duel. The winner of the duel would then ultimately decide on the course of action taken, and both tribes would accept the judgement as law.







As for the loser… They would be stripped of their status and m

With a heaving sigh, the challenger drops to her knees and bows before the witch.







“I...Surrender. I am unable to complete your trial. As per our agreement, I submit myself to your will.”







The witch, seeming both amused and disappointed by the challenger’s surre