Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2017 16:25:05 GMT -5
“You can’t just leave, Cordelia. There’s unfinished business to attend.” The bulky Italian man stated with stern ferocity in his voice. Cordelia stood a few inches taller than the man but he outweighed her by about 100 pounds. But she had no fear. She never had any fear. That’s why they called her “The Demon.” She had stepped into battles that men far larger than her had run from and come out victorious. She had earned her way out of the underground and back into the mainstream. But Lord Harmon didn’t see it that way.
Lord Harmon was the bulky Italian man standing in front of Cordelia. He was one of many Lords of the Underworld who dwelled in this world. The Underworld sounds a bit demonic and in fact ‘demonic’ may be the best word for it. These men and women who found themselves labeled Lords and Temptresses respectively all had high profile day jobs: From Doctors and lawyers to Mayor and Governors and some believe that the current President may have been involved in the past, but those rumors are unfounded, as are all rumors as all identities are to remain anonymous.
The Underworld was an underground fighting ring. It was a throwback to gladiatorial days. Lords and Temptresses bought slaves and pit them in combat in the Dungeon. They aren’t called slaves. That term is too derogatory a term for these masters of the Underworld. They called their fighters “Liegemen.” It didn’t matter if you were man or woman or gender fluid, you were deemed a Liegeman and set to fight either alone or alongside other Liegemen in combat weekly.
Do you see why ‘Demonic’ was an appropriate term?
Some people were kidnapped and bought through simple human trafficking. Many Korean, Japanese and Chinese men and women found themselves here in this way. Many people find themselves deemed Liegemen by their Masters buying up their debts from them. That’s how Cordelia Malice found herself indebted to Lord Harmon.
Normally there were only 2 ways out. Either you repay your debt to the Lord or you die. You can repay your debt by winning fights. Each fight you won you earned your master money as they would ultimately bet on you. They rarely bet much and it would take so long to repay your debt that most people parted ways with their Master through the latter method.
However there was one more way to part ways with The Underworld. It was a bylaw written a hundred years ago by the founding members of the underground fighting ring.
“I think we’re done here.” Cordelia started pulling out a dust covered book. “It says right here in the bylaws that ‘A Liegeman will be considered free of their duties when they pay back their debtor or when they compile 100 kills inside the Dungeon.”
She closed the book and looked at the man staring back at her underneath the black hood he always wore. Kills were rarely scored in the Dungeon. Nowadays the fights would stop when a Liegeman was knocked out. It was not common practice for Masters to allow their combatants to kill their opponents, but Harmon was a devilishly selfish man. The more he forced Cordelia to kill the more spectators would visit the dungeon on a weekly basis. The more spectators that showed up the more money he stood to make by putting her in unfavorable matchups and reaping the benefits. Cordelia was certain that she had repaid her debt 10 times over especially when they changed venues to go somewhere bigger to allow more spectators, but Harmon always stood by claiming that she still owed more.
The veteran Liegemen knew of this handbook written years ago and rumors had it that Harmon had it. Though he was just one of the Lords he was certainly the most successful one, and Cordelia was a big part of it. He paid for the best combat training that money could buy. She couldn’t be sure but she was almost positive she was receiving Navy Seal Training, and KGB training. Pair that with a life on the streets until she was about 25 and she was a fearless and trained killing machine.
“We can do this the easy way, Harmon. Or we can do this the hard way.”
Two large men behind him stepped forward but his outstretched arms stopped them as Malice braced herself for a fight. She wasn't afraid to do this the hard way.
“Indeed. One hundred kills deems you free. But as my count has it you’re only at 98 kills. You think that I didn’t know the rules. You think that I wasn’t keeping score. And if you think for a second that I would allow you to kill any more you’re stupider than I thought 3 years ago when I bought your debt from the Reznekov family.
But you are right about something, my dear. You will no longer be competing in the dungeon. That space has become too confined for your talent. You need a larger venue, and I’ve come across the perfect fit. They have this ‘sport’ called Professional Wrestling and it’s pretty much what we do down here except on a much MUCH larger scale. You are so interested in paying off your debt I suggest that you accept the offer I present to you.”
He puts his hand out and one of the oversized men guarding him hands him a manila folder. He opens it up and smiles. Inside of it is a contract for EHWF. He signs part of it, presumably the part that names him the beneficiary of her work and hands it her way.
“That handbook you have there won’t do you any more good, Cordelia.” He continued. “You will no longer be in the Dungeon and in that contract there are very specific rules on how to win in that company. But I am not an unreasonable man, Cordelia. By signing this contract you will indeed have more freedom. You see, you will not be relegated to the confines of the dungeon. You will in fact be on the road travelling with this… circus.” He said that word with disgust. “And you will be making so much money that you will more quickly be able to repay your debt. Of course after travel, expenses and of course having Roscoe here by your side at all times and the salary that he nets.”
She looked over the overtly difficult vernacular in the contract and then looked back up at Harmon. She had come in with such ferocity and confidence that the end would be near but in fact it was far from it. From what she could ascertain she would be making far less money than she was on a far grander stage and Harmon would be the only one making more. But with no family to speak of and no access to a proper attorney, coupled with the knowledge that she would no longer be living inside of a cell and have an opportunity to travel the world, she truly had no choice but to take the pen handed to her and sign her name to a deal she wasn’t completely sure of.
Lord Harmon was the bulky Italian man standing in front of Cordelia. He was one of many Lords of the Underworld who dwelled in this world. The Underworld sounds a bit demonic and in fact ‘demonic’ may be the best word for it. These men and women who found themselves labeled Lords and Temptresses respectively all had high profile day jobs: From Doctors and lawyers to Mayor and Governors and some believe that the current President may have been involved in the past, but those rumors are unfounded, as are all rumors as all identities are to remain anonymous.
The Underworld was an underground fighting ring. It was a throwback to gladiatorial days. Lords and Temptresses bought slaves and pit them in combat in the Dungeon. They aren’t called slaves. That term is too derogatory a term for these masters of the Underworld. They called their fighters “Liegemen.” It didn’t matter if you were man or woman or gender fluid, you were deemed a Liegeman and set to fight either alone or alongside other Liegemen in combat weekly.
Do you see why ‘Demonic’ was an appropriate term?
Some people were kidnapped and bought through simple human trafficking. Many Korean, Japanese and Chinese men and women found themselves here in this way. Many people find themselves deemed Liegemen by their Masters buying up their debts from them. That’s how Cordelia Malice found herself indebted to Lord Harmon.
Normally there were only 2 ways out. Either you repay your debt to the Lord or you die. You can repay your debt by winning fights. Each fight you won you earned your master money as they would ultimately bet on you. They rarely bet much and it would take so long to repay your debt that most people parted ways with their Master through the latter method.
However there was one more way to part ways with The Underworld. It was a bylaw written a hundred years ago by the founding members of the underground fighting ring.
“I think we’re done here.” Cordelia started pulling out a dust covered book. “It says right here in the bylaws that ‘A Liegeman will be considered free of their duties when they pay back their debtor or when they compile 100 kills inside the Dungeon.”
She closed the book and looked at the man staring back at her underneath the black hood he always wore. Kills were rarely scored in the Dungeon. Nowadays the fights would stop when a Liegeman was knocked out. It was not common practice for Masters to allow their combatants to kill their opponents, but Harmon was a devilishly selfish man. The more he forced Cordelia to kill the more spectators would visit the dungeon on a weekly basis. The more spectators that showed up the more money he stood to make by putting her in unfavorable matchups and reaping the benefits. Cordelia was certain that she had repaid her debt 10 times over especially when they changed venues to go somewhere bigger to allow more spectators, but Harmon always stood by claiming that she still owed more.
The veteran Liegemen knew of this handbook written years ago and rumors had it that Harmon had it. Though he was just one of the Lords he was certainly the most successful one, and Cordelia was a big part of it. He paid for the best combat training that money could buy. She couldn’t be sure but she was almost positive she was receiving Navy Seal Training, and KGB training. Pair that with a life on the streets until she was about 25 and she was a fearless and trained killing machine.
“We can do this the easy way, Harmon. Or we can do this the hard way.”
Two large men behind him stepped forward but his outstretched arms stopped them as Malice braced herself for a fight. She wasn't afraid to do this the hard way.
“Indeed. One hundred kills deems you free. But as my count has it you’re only at 98 kills. You think that I didn’t know the rules. You think that I wasn’t keeping score. And if you think for a second that I would allow you to kill any more you’re stupider than I thought 3 years ago when I bought your debt from the Reznekov family.
But you are right about something, my dear. You will no longer be competing in the dungeon. That space has become too confined for your talent. You need a larger venue, and I’ve come across the perfect fit. They have this ‘sport’ called Professional Wrestling and it’s pretty much what we do down here except on a much MUCH larger scale. You are so interested in paying off your debt I suggest that you accept the offer I present to you.”
He puts his hand out and one of the oversized men guarding him hands him a manila folder. He opens it up and smiles. Inside of it is a contract for EHWF. He signs part of it, presumably the part that names him the beneficiary of her work and hands it her way.
“That handbook you have there won’t do you any more good, Cordelia.” He continued. “You will no longer be in the Dungeon and in that contract there are very specific rules on how to win in that company. But I am not an unreasonable man, Cordelia. By signing this contract you will indeed have more freedom. You see, you will not be relegated to the confines of the dungeon. You will in fact be on the road travelling with this… circus.” He said that word with disgust. “And you will be making so much money that you will more quickly be able to repay your debt. Of course after travel, expenses and of course having Roscoe here by your side at all times and the salary that he nets.”
She looked over the overtly difficult vernacular in the contract and then looked back up at Harmon. She had come in with such ferocity and confidence that the end would be near but in fact it was far from it. From what she could ascertain she would be making far less money than she was on a far grander stage and Harmon would be the only one making more. But with no family to speak of and no access to a proper attorney, coupled with the knowledge that she would no longer be living inside of a cell and have an opportunity to travel the world, she truly had no choice but to take the pen handed to her and sign her name to a deal she wasn’t completely sure of.