“Watch out!” the man cried. Haria whirled, her whip swung around and cracked down at Jaguarina. The cat woman jumped and rolled, came lithely back on her feet, the whip passing her without touching. Now the younger woman was getting too close for Haria to use her whip... but Haria quickly gathered in the rope and then turned the whip around, using the handle with its heavy knob like a baton.

Jaguarina jumped again, but Haria sidestepped her and then brought her baton down hard onto Jaguarina's extended left hand. Jaguarina hissed in pain, curling the smarting hand against her belly for a moment. She withdrew and crouched, watching and waiting. Haria opened the lock which chained the man to the ground. She gave him a push.

“It's up to you now... either you run to my base or I beat you there!” The man got to his feet, stumbling a little under the heavy pole, then he turned towards Haria's base. Jaguarina's left hand seemed to be functional again. She wiggled her fingers a little, wincing but then turned towards Haria. Haria gave the man another push, to urge him forwards. Jaguarina, claws extended, tried to circle around Haria to get between her and the man. Haria uncurled her whip, flicked it at Jaguarina. But this time the cat woman was ready. Her hand snapped up, caught hold of the string, her other swiped across and about half the length of rope fell to the ground. Haria's whip had been severely crippled. Haria turned it around again, to use the heavy knob at the end of the handle to block Jaguarina's swipes. She threw a quick look across to the man who had stopped and turned to watch.

“Go!”

Jaguarina suddenly moved with blinding speed, swung her leg around and up at Haria's head. Distracted Haria withdrew a fraction too late. The heel caught her a glancing blow across the cheek and sent her reeling. She staggered a moment and then collapsed. Jaguarina turned on her heels, ran after the man and around him. She growled.

“Move back!” He didn't react for a moment. Jaguarina swiped her claw at him. He reflexively stepped back, away from the gleaming blades. One left a faint red trace across his naked belly and he looked up at Jaguarina with shock. In her eyes he could read a killing rage. Again she swiped, again he barely avoided being eviscerated by stumbling back. They were now back in the centre and every swipe from Jaguarina brought him a little closer to her base. He tried to sidestep her but she prevented him.

Haria stumbled to her feet. She touched her smarting cheek, then looked around. Jaguarina steadily drove the man towards her base. Haria muttered a curse, bent to pick up her whip and ran after Jaguarina. The man and the cat woman were now only a few steps away from her base. He turned and saw it. At Jaguarina's next swipe he threw himself to the side, stumbled and fell heavily. Jaguarina raised her claws over him, apparently oblivious to Haria's approach. Haria brought her whip handle hard down on Jaguarina's back. Jaguarina, whirled, hissed and then attacked Haria.

The man struggled to his feet, then, with a quick glance at the fighting women he started across the arena. He hated what he was doing, but there were a few considerations he had to take... and one was about his life. Haria under the circumstances seemed the far saver choice. He could not risk falling into Jaguarina's hands.

He passed the centre of the arena while behind him he could hear the growls, grunts and shouts of the two warring women. He tried to walk faster but stumbled as a red veil seemed to come before his eyes. The scratch on his belly burned like fire. He blinked, focussed on the base, set step in front of step.

Behind him Jaguarina fell back from a hard blow to her head. Haria turned to see the man close to her own base stumble, and break into his knees. She frowned then ran towards him. He struggled to get back to his feet. She caught him by the pole, heaved him up.

“Something's wrong,” he muttered. “Can't... can't see. Burns.”

A final step brought them to the base where he collapsed. Haria turned to look back at Jaguarina. The woman stood in the centre, watching them with a faint smile.

The referee stood up on the dais. “The slave goes to Haria. He has declared his choice.” Jaguarina turned on her heels and briskly left the arena while the spectators filed out. Haria looked down on the man at her feet. He didn't move. She turned him around, noticed the scratch across his belly. It was now faintly purplish around the edges.

“Poison! Bitch... bloody bitch! You really don't take loosing lightly!” Haria looked down at the faint scratch across her own arm. It was burning and itching. “Bitch!” She repeated.

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