To Kill A Gladiator

Prologue: Cami

The light from the lanterns quavered and dimmed as if in respect as the man walked past, his face covered by a metal mask so only his ice blue eyes could be seen. The other fighters wouldn't look at him properly, probably not wanting to talk to the man who would probably kill them one day. I am waiting for him next to the lift that would carry him up for the amusement of the great crowd that we could faintly hear baying for blood. When he reached me I went onto the balls of my feet and whispered in his ear: "Stay safe brother, they say he's quite good in the yard." My brother, Lucius, looked down on me and said, his voice muffled by the mask, "They are all good in the yard Cami, where they know they will leave alive. But up there, where the danger is, all that in the yard leaves them and quite good just isn't good enough." I smiled a tight smile, "Just win." Lucius nodded and stepped onto the lift, a wooden platform raised up by ropes to the floor of the amphitheatre where my brother would fight till either he or his opponent was defeated, or killed.

The lift began to rise and a tight knot in my chest formed as it always did when I bid Lucius goodbye before a fight. Looking up one last time I turned around and quickly ran up the stairs towards the huge metal gates where I could watch the fight. "And now for your entertainment!" The speaker roared to the now hushed crowd, "The undefeated... Lucius!" The ground opened up in the middle of the arena and my brother rose up out of the arena ground. He raised his arms to the sky and the crowd screamed in appreciation. "Lucius!" The horde chanted, "Lucius!"

"Now, fighting for the first time!" The speaker piped up above the crowd, "Felix!" Again the ground opened up and Lucius' opponent entered the arena. Felix was wearing no helmet or armour, just a simple leather breastplate over his green tunic, on his belt was a small dagger. Lucius unsheathed his short sword, his weapon of preference and made a series of lightning fast practice swings. Felix calmly ignored Lucius and picked up the fishers net and trident that were lying in a pile beside him. Lucius turned and saluted to the Emperors box; I could just see the shadowy figure of Caesar Domitian nod in acknowledgement. Felix however made no move of respect towards the Emperor, he just stood there inspecting his trident and making patterns in the sand. He showed no fear and that's when I felt really scared for Lucius.

The two fighters faced each other; Lucius started circling Felix slowly then suddenly made a lunge with his short sword. With almost lazy ease Felix blocked the lunge with his spear, for a moment the two fighters grappled for dominance with their weapons. The scuffle went on for a couple of seconds until Felix broke away, turned around Lucius and brought the large round metal handle down on my brothers back. The audience gasped, Lucius staggered, but thankfully recovered. He'll be angry now I thought, and I was right. All at once Lucius made his move, swinging at Felix's legs and stabbing at his stomach. Felix quickly parried with the handle of his spear and moved away, I watched in dismay as I saw my brother get increasingly angry and careless. He was so used to winning that losing made him lose concentration which in the arena can be fatal. The hot Italian sun beat down on the two fighters and I could see Felix's perfect teeth glinting in the sun as he smiled, I couldn't possibly hate anyone more than I did him right then. 

"C'mon Lucius!" I yelled as loudly as I could and he seemed to hear me; the great swordsmanship that I knew so well came into play. I sighed in relief as Lucius thrust and parried and beat Felix back. Felix ducked, dodged and parried I began to think that Lucius had only been testing Felix, seeing his fighting style, I was wrong, it was the other way around. Felix had been testing him, working him up and the crowd up untill he could show his fighting prowess... I watched in horror as Lucius was smacked and struck. The three prongs of the trident came out and wrenched the sword from Lucius' hand a flick of his wrist and the fisherman's net soared into the air, opened up and fell around my brother. Lucius was now trapped and defenceless, he struggled under the net in the sand, the crowd begged for his blood. Felix knelt down next to him, took out his dagger and slashed my brother's throat.

It was then I vowed to the Gods that I would kill Felix the gladiator.

So this is my first story please remember to vote and comment if you enjoy :)