To Kill A Gladiator

Chapter Two: Cami

We walk down the tunnel in silence, me in front Felix behind. Its pitch black and the walls drip with water, I hear a thump and Felix grunt; he has probably hit his head on the low ceiling. I am angry; every move I make is exasperated and forceful. I should have left him to the mercy of Marcus but that would have meant a job done for me, and I hate people doing stuff for me. I suddenly remember Caesar, my dog that I had raised from a puppy, he had shared my food with me and he had been my only friend for years, everyone else had been too afraid of my eyes to spend more than a minute talking to me. I almost let out a sob in frustration; I have lost everything to Felix, my brother my home and my only friend, I can't go back I could have been seen knocking out Marcus. I clench and unclench my hands until my nails begin to hurt my hands. Through my scrunched up eyes I see a light in the distance illuminating the grey walls and the scuffed sandy floor. I pick up my pace; I squint in the light that is shining down through a hole in the roof.

"I don't think we're meant to get out." Says Felix, unfortunately I think he's right, there is an opening in the ceiling but we're quite deep underground, there is a roughly hew chimney between us and the outside.

"Right," I say, "How are we going to do this?"  

"I have an idea," Says Felix.

"Oh good," I reply, "So you are of some use after all."

Felix purses his lips but doesn't say anything.

I sigh, "What's your plan?"

He points up at a large stone jutting out of the side of the chimney near the top, "If I can get you up there you can climb out, you're probably small enough ."

"What about you?" I ask.

"Well I was hoping that you could maybe look around for some rope or something, if not I can probably climb out."

"Ok, lets try it." I look up at the ledge, its quite high up. Without warning Felix has grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up towards the ledge which I grab hold of. I wedge my self in the tunnel and look around for another ledge to heave myself up over the edge. I find one and haul myself up another couple of inches. Now for the hard part, with my back against the  wall I reach behind me and place my hands on the edge of the chimney and heave myself out onto firm ground. I lie on my back panting in relief, my hands are shaking.

"Oi!" Cries Felix, "Take your time up there why don't you!"

I sit up and look around, there was a pile of rope near where I was sitting, probably for bringing up bodies. I throw one end down to Felix and tied the other end around a nearby tree. I watch as Felix uses the rope to wriggle his way out.

We are right next to the amphitheatre walls and we can hear the crowd clapping and shouting faintly from behind the soaring, marble dusted walls. I look around, we are sitting in a quiet spot under the shade of some umbrella pine trees by a footpath leading towards the forum.

"C'mon, we'd better get going." Says Felix.

 I nod, we could've easily been seen appearing from the hole but thankfully no one had. We get up and head towards the forum.

When we arrive the market place is teaming with people, guards and hawkers trying to sell good luck charms. I keep my head down, scared that Cato and Magnus were somewhere in the throng.  I look behind me to look at Felix and groan inwardly, he stuck out like a sore thumb with his dagger on show for all to see and his blood splattered leather breastplate, which would have been acceptable if he had been in a uniform but his scruffy green tunic and shifty suspicious look he was doing so well just added to the image of a dangerous ruffian. Felix catches me looking over him in disapproval and shrugs, I guess he feels out of place to.