Gladiator Tales

Prologue

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PROLOGUE

"Ahmet!" my mother called from the shade of the house. "Ahmet! Come here will you!" I knew better than to keep mother waiting. After all, the heat was unbearable.

"Yes mother!" I said as I quickly darted inside. I was met by her almost immediately. She startled me, nothing out of the ordinary here. She placed the clay jar in my hands, nearly dropping it. She gave me a quick glare.

"Go and fetch some water from the well" she said menacingly.

She stared at me as I dashed back outside into the blistering sun. I walked through our tiny village toward the well near its center. As usual, there was a crowd around the well. After all it was the center of town, a common meeting place for traders and merchants and it was the only source of water for a few miles around. I waited my turn to actually get down to the water and fill our pot, mother always taught me to be patient. I quickly drew the water as not to make the person behind me wait. That's when things began to get weird.

I was careful not to fill the jar completely, solely so I could carry it home. After I hoisted the jar out of the well, I took a step back to brace the weight. I fully expected to bump into someone there. I was surprised that I didn't. I looked around, careful to steady my jar. While there weren't any people around me, there was still some activity. Soldiers were forming their lines in the middle of the street. There was a general barking orders toward them. Romans! I thought to myself. Since before I was born, they would march into our town demanding a payment for their so called "protection", which was more of an oppression than of anything else. Their legionaries were forming line in the center of town as their usual display of power.

Something in my gut told me to run home, but I was frozen out of fear. I forced my legs and started back toward home. That was quite possibly the worst idea I've ever had...