7.37 – Second Stake I

7.37 – Second Stake I

After collecting themselves, ensuring they hadn't left anything behind, and making sure they were clean and presentable, they exited the Arena. The gate in the back led them onto the city streets, and they needed to walk around the building and re-enter the Arena from the front.

Before throwing themselves into the fray a second time, Natalie approached a blonde girl sitting on a bench at the side of the reception area. She was leaning back and observing the other citygoers, perhaps waiting for someone. Their eyes met as Natalie finished crossing the room.

She made quick introductions, then got to the point. "Just had a quick question, if you don't mind. We're new here. Trying to get a feel for how things work."

"Sure?" The blonde girl—Annabelle—said, straightening up.

"How many tokens is it normal to have enchanted, after an Arena run? The receptionist," she gestured at the automaton, "was vague."

"Depends on how far you get, and the stake."

"I know that. I meant—can I ask you how many tokens you got, your last run?"

The blonde girl tilted her head. "Six. Then two. Then one. You get less with each series. Diminishing returns."

Natalie blinked. Six enchanted tokens for her first run? She and Vanetta had gotten nineteen. Had they done that much better? She didn't recognize this woman from Tenet, so she might be an independent delver or someone from a less-known academy. So it wasn't implausible she was—well, not as competent. Still, only one-third?

"Did you, ah, fulfill a stake? No need for the details, I'm not trying to be nosy. Like I said, just trying to get a feel for the system."

Annabelle's lips twitched. "Yeah, you two are definitely new. There's no need to tiptoe around it. But yes. I paid out a three-hearts stake."

Same as them. "What round did you get to?"

"Sixteenth."

"Sixteenth? Oh. Wow."

"The rounds aren't consistent in strength," Annabelle said, accurately guessing why she'd been surprised. "Some series get stronger faster. Some drag out. It's not that easy to benchmark the Token system. People have tried, but everything varies too much."

Straightforward. Natalie's heart beat faster in her chest.

Finally, the five-heart task.

Missionary Sex. The two participants will engage in unprotected missionary sex. Climax must occur during penetration.

"That's, ah, blunt," Natalie said, equally amused and embarrassed. The picture associated with the last stake was the most explicit she'd seen yet. Reasonably.

"Why'd they jump in rating so much?" Vanetta asked faintly. "The lowest is the highest of the last series."

"Maybe because we picked the hardest, last time?" She shrugged. "The point of the City is to work us into more and more—lewd things. So since we did that last time, it gave us the next tiers up."

"... Logical, I guess." Vanetta seemed to be struggling to keep her voice steady. "But these are too much."

"We don't have to do any of them," Natalie reminded her.

"That's a waste," she disagreed. "But," she bit her lip and met Natalie's eyes. "Well, what do you think?"

Emboldened by previous events, Natalie grinned. "I vote for the five-heart stake."

Vanetta's eyes widened, and, flustered, she faced away. "Don't be ridiculous. You just said if we pick the hardest, the dungeon will make that the new default. Besides, it's ... too much."

"I guess I'll settle for getting my fingers inside you, then," Natalie said. "Or my tongue? Like I said, it's up to you. Or rather, I'm okay with anything."

Vanetta ignored her. Or at least the teasing tone of her voice. "I think another three-heart is acceptable. Besides, we can always retreat."

Natalie had heard that reasoning once before. The excuse wasn't nearly so convincing the second time around. She had to fight the smirk on her face.

"Three hearts it is," Natalie said. Then, she winced and rolled her shoulders. She'd temporarily forgotten she would be fighting to the death a second time. "Let's see how far we can get."