Neflari finally left Mistress Claudette's Grotto after spending the better part of the day training and talking, sunset almost upon them by now. He had learned some more of healing and seemed to gain a bit more magical power though accessing it still provided what could only be described as a trickle and even that he probably couldn't do till morning, he had used it so much today. Passing some of the House slaves along the way earned various stares and whispers, though it was more a tone of awe or disbelief than the harsh ness and jealousy it was before. A brief stop by the quarters to clean himself up and deciding to dress in one of his nicer silks, a pink and purple ensemble just sheer enough to tease and hint without being indecent. A sigh as he looked at himself, he had missed wearing silks already, even if they were impractical. That done, he ventured out to the infirmary to check on the progress of Athena and the others. Arkuss Neflari looks at the head assistant as he enters. "I was detained. Some do have authority higher than us." He sighs a bit as he sees the mess and soon hearing the still irate hyena. "I assume Xian has recovered as well?" He watches for a brief moment before shaking his head at the hyena's train of insults, only a slight twitch of an eyebrow. It wasn't even worth trying to respond any more. Instead he moves to where Athena is, a firm but caring and somewhat worried look on his face as he met those eyes. "I have been busy getting trained in 'proper' behavior for a chain slave as well as learning magic. It was not the sort I could say no to, either." His gaze softens at that point, paws coming to rest against the amazon's hands, the lion looking rather vulnerable compared to earlier. "I was only able to heal you as well as I did because someone helped...and I only just escaped being thrown into that fight myself. I must learn...become stronger, or worse may happen. I'm sorry to have worried you..." Arkuss Neflari cringes back a little at hir response as shi pulls away, catching that glimmer in her eye, betraying the real pain within. He looks down a bit, about to respond when that strong hand rests upon his shoulder, a blink as he hears the familiar voice and glances up to her. Dense though he could be, it took only a few seconds to get an idea of what she was doing, the lion remaining silent and actually blushing a little. A third time she had mysteriously come to his aid already and, indirectly, Athena's. His eyes finally move back to his amazon, the pretty feline feeling unsure and nervous at the tension between the two and for once hot doing much to hide it. Holding that poise and hiding his moments of weakness took its toll over time and the need to do so seemed to get even worse as a chain slave and he was growing tired of it. Arkuss Neflari lets out a small gasp as that big female actually slapped Athena, this was not the sort of reunion he had been expecting. It frightened him to be perfectly honest yet it seemed to be reaching into something he had not realized before, one of those things that really needed to be resolved before it became something much worse. He blushes as she moves beside him, being reminded just how much taller she was as that hip brushes against him. The burden of this exchange seemed to have shifted again, the lion looking to the amazon now, realizing in that moment there was something deeper in his feelings for hir and found himself hoping shi actually felt the same. Arkuss Neflari blinks, a bit stunned as that challenge was given, a deepening of that blush as he saw hir full form again, even in such a tense situation as this. A bit dazed at the whole turn of events he only just notes the hyena's reaction to whatever was said he watches the female as she leaves, catching that wink and feeling a bit of hope under the wash of other emotions. He follows soon after but not far, only enough to witness this duel, stopping well away from where the actual fight would occur. No doubt this would prove interesting, whatever sort of outcome might come of it. Arkuss Neflari eeps a bit, he had not planned to go further anyway but nods obediently and takes his place where shi had pointed. As the muscular female approaches, he finds himself witnessing one of those rare displays of speed which ought to be impossible for the plump amazon. The lion watches as Athena went into that powerful move then wasting little time before pinning the female underneath hir. His tail flicked about some as he found a bit of excitement in watching this bout though exactly why it was there was unknown to him. Arkuss Arkuss Neflari takes in the intense scene within the ring, this was perhaps the first time he had seen the amazon truly using hir power and it was amazing, even frightening. As the battle continued, remaining awfully one-sided as the others cheered for the amazon, it began to take a nasty turn. He had heard of the rage shi could enter, one nearly unstoppable by anyone once it took hold but to see it himself was an entirely different thing, a shiver running down his body as shi made hir pronouncement. Shi would actually do it, like this...he knew that somehow. He looked to the amazon, eyes showing fear, not at hir but at what shi was about to do. "Athena...don't..." He managed to find enough to raise his voice considerably, though it was not comparable to that roar he had given once. "ATHENA!" Arkuss Neflari found himself surprised, he had not realized it went so deep. But he couldn't let this happen, he might never forgive himself and he didn't think shi would handle it very well if shi learned the truth. He held hir gaze, difficult though it was, having to fight himself to hold the willpower he managed to pull together. "ATHENA, I AM YOURS!" He breathes deeply, a small smile forming, his eyes bearing the beginnings of tears, hir actions touching him more than he had expected. He wasn't sure how to stop this mess but he had to. "YOU'VE PROVEN THAT! PLEASE..." Arkuss Neflari winces as the amazon began slamming the female's face into the sand, though a breath was released as shi seemed to have been swayed from that potentially fatal intent. Listening to hir next pronouncement, the lion held his place, watching now as he was ordered once more to remain as the female was drug to that small building, another of those shivers as the two move up the stairs quickly to the porch. His eyes went wide as he realized just what shi planned, staring as the amazon shoved that huge cock into the beaten female, not certain if he should be horrified or aroused. He actually found himself with a mixture of both, a fact that disconcerted him even as there was some swelling under those silks. He most certainly had not seen hir use this sort of technique in a fight before! Arkuss Athena dug her fingers into the screaming girls shoulders, those nails scratching the flesh nastily as shi used her weight and positioning to make the rape as unsettling as possible it appeared. Violet eyes darker than night leered at the struggling female, feeling her spasm and clench, trying to expel that cock. Burying hirself to the hilt, she moved a hand and cuffed her upon the back of the head, knocking her face to the porch before returning it to the shoulder it had left. Each thrust caused the amazon's build to shift and shi spat onto the back again, reaching her other hand to grip that hair again and yank it back. The barely conscious female blinking through swollen eye, bleeding from nose and mouth she let out a scream that put the one from the sands to shame. "I should fuck your pussy and impregnate you so that Master Gallus will leave you to die on the trail to Rome. Or maybe I should beg him to give me your child, to do with as I SEE FIT!" the amazon bent down and bit into one of those ears that twitched atop the females head. The result was another scream. Eyes wide, she went to speak but Athena crossed her face with a forearm, breaking her nose with a spout of blood. Pushing her head onto the porch, the amazon felt the female go limp, and increased her fucking, as she eyes the lion's approach, seeing those silk. "What did I tell you about wearing those?"> Neflari cringes as the amazon rapes her, some remnant of sick arousal lingered but it was becoming awful brutal now. Or perhaps he was just realizing it. As another of those ear-piercing screams rang out he growls a bit, leaving his spot and moving towards the porch, though not ascending, he simply needed to be in earshot without the rest of the spectators listening in. A hard look at the amazon and growls some as his patience seems to fray. "I know what you said! They may not be practical on the sands or training and I have not worn them, then! But they're just fine for other times. I also know you like them on me." Arkuss Neflari watches as Athena pulls out of the unfortunate female, eyeing the cum spurting across her back though he couldn't say he had much that kind of interest in the situation now. He tilts his head as shi speaks to him with a sigh, nodding and letting the amazon walk off before heading for their quarters. Once there he changed outfits again, choosing a clean and slightly more modest pair of leather pants and wrap-around top though neither was exactly described as loose even so. That done he heads for the kitchens, the trip again uneventful and it did not take long to gather food for their late meal. Soon he returns to their quarters at a somewhat slower pace, the events of the day weighing on him, particularly this last one. Nonetheless his poise and calm seem to have returned at least and in full by the time he reaches their room. Arkuss Neflari has the food ready by the time shi returns, nodding with a small smile as shi enters. Even as things have gone, he takes a brief moment to gaze over that body before returning to his work. He lets the amazon come for hir own plate before he gathers his, a small sigh as shi poses that question. "Yes...though not for the reasons you probably believe." He settles down on his bed, looking at his food for a bit before beginning to eat, pausing after a couple bites. "After I was freed from the punishment blocks, did anyone tell you my whereabouts or that I was safe?" Arkuss turns to face the lion, tears brimming hir eyes, trembling hands barely holding the plate, roll and food falling to the floor. "They told me you had been summoned to the Master's villa. I am not stupid, I know what goes on there. And then, and then I saw what I did to Xian, or I think I did to her. Surrek would not even look at me when he came to get her. The physicians assistant told me though the bones were miraculously healed by means he did not know, she will not likely sing again. And...and, you were gone so long. Bernak's taunted me with what you were doing in the villa. You saw what happened there." Shi blinked and raised a forearm to hir eyes and lost the plate totally, hir powerful body shaking as she went to the floor to clean up the mess, continuing. "And then you arrived in the silks...and then she came...and said those things..."> Neflari blinks, taking in that chain of words, surprised to see the amazon in tears so quickly. He watches as shi seems to slowly break down, his heart aching again and dispelling much of the tension he had gathered. As shi moves to clean up the mess he sets his own plate aside, looking down for a moment before speaking, his voice firm but calm and caring. "Athena, I will tell you the events of today, the real ones, if you wish it. I think it will help. If you do not, then I can leave you to whatever you can learn on your own. Either way, if I am to be your Second then I must have at least one promise: listen to me. Allow me to speak, now and in the future. You need not heed my words and you may tell me to be quiet or correct me if they are wrong, but please listen first. Is that acceptable?" Arkuss slumping to the floor, the amazon sets the plate to the ground, most of the food reclaimed and smushed upon it. Blinking, shi lifts hir head, lower lip trembling strongly as hir chest heaves now. "She didn't do anything to you did she? She barely touched you, that is the truth isn't it?" shi leaned back and rubbed hir eyes hard with thumb and forefinger, shaking hir head. "Why would shi allow that to happen? I wanted to, I would have killed her." She stopped and looked at the lion long and hard. "I will listen from now on, but tell me WHY would she do that? I do not even know her." Shaking hir head, shi leaned back against the wall and pulled her knees up to hir chest and held them with her thick arms, tilting head to look up at the ceiling.> Neflari sighs again, nodding as shi agrees and guesses part of where he was going. "I do not know for sure why she chose what she did. But...I will tell you now what has happened to me." He looks to hir for a moment, then back down. "On the punishment blocks...I tried in what limited knowledge I had to heal you. It helped but it was not until I felt another source join what magic I had...and it did so much more. Master Crennus released me that night and I was ordered to the villa in the morning to learn the proper ways of a chain slave. I saw the punishment fight...and after, Surrek asked me to help Xian though I would have anyway. I owe her a debt for that first day. I attempted to heal you first, and the same intervention occurred for the second time. Then again when I healed her. I also learned who it was. I left for the villa after that for what lesson I was to be given. I also was given training in magic...by Mistress Claudette." He shakes his head, breathing deeply. "By the time I left the villa it was nearly sunset. I wanted to surprise you, with the silks. I had hoped we could enjoy an evening and then" He trails off, looking to his companion again. "No, she never touched me. I do not know exactly why she chose to provoke you that way, but I think she was trying to help us in some way. Again."> Arkuss Neflari mmfs as shi bangs her head on the wall, breaking the slowly growing tension in the air, at least for a moment. He returns to eating for a bit, letting the amazon speak hir mind, something telling him this was a very important moment. He blushes a little as shi recalls the things that apparently drew hir to him, wondering if maybe they were a bit exaggerated. As shi touches his wrist, his eyes meet hirs, seeing the beautiful hues of pink and purple closer than he ever had. A soft smile fell across his muzzle, the lion setting his plate down and sliding his free arm around hir drawing hir closer against him. "Yes...I will try, Athena. It is a difficult thing you have chosen to face but I will be here for you. Always." Arkuss Neflari mms and nods, glad that little worry was out of the way as well now. He watches the amazon collect the plates and letting himself relax finally, starting to feel the wear from everything that had happened. He allowed himself the chance again to admire that heavy form even as shi returned, kneeling down in front of him. A blush formed as shi said that, soft purring as he felt those strong hands sliding along his legs and thighs. A somewhat playful smile came at that. "And just what sort of appetites does my big amazon wish of hir pet?" Arkuss