Son of Rome

Chapter 2

                 

Cassius remembered as if it were yesterday...actually it had been yesterday, it's odd how time moved when one was waiting to die. He remembered how the Emperor had smirked as he announced that "in his benevolence" he would allow the conspirators, Cassius and several of his closest followers, a chance to regain their honor in trial by combat within the hallowed halls of the Arena. Any survivors would be pardoned of their crimes and released back into society. The tyrant's smirk at his statement revealed how likely that he thought this outcome would be...though his statement was met with thunderous applause. The fools were blind to the type of man they served.

Or were they? Many of those smiling, cheering faces had eyes filled with fear.

Cassius and his escort stopped just outside the entrance to the arena's sand covered battle ground. One guard stood back, spear pointed toward the young prisoner's heart while the other knelt to undo his shackles. He stood and unlocked the manacles around Cassius' wrists. The two men's eyes met for a split second as the guard pressed something into the younger man's hand. Cassius glanced down quickly and saw a well balanced dagger which he quickly tucked into his armor.

Stepping forward, Cassius selected his weapons from the wracks arrayed before the door. A well honed gladius and a shield were his choices after several minutes of searching through the many swords, spears, axes and maces available. The large oaken doors leading into the arena were thrown open at some unseen signal; they crashed against the stone walls with a resounding boom.

Blinding sunlight flooded the gloomy chamber. Cassius squinted against the glare, lifting his sword arm in an attempt to block out some of the harsh light. The crowd cheered as he walked out. In the arena's center, he saw the reason for the audience's uproar. The final two gladiators from the previous show stood surrounded by bodies, Cassius' comrades. Worn sandals scooted through bloody sand as the battered fighters circled one another.

The larger of the two sported the armor of a myrmidon, bronze helmet with a large crest, scaled armor on the right arm and bronze shin guards. The heavy warrior swung a gore encrusted mace. The second warrior had no armor and fought with a battered trident which shattered beneath the mace's heavy head. The smaller gladiator ducked the blow and lunged forward with his shattered trident.

The broken length of wood slid beneath the heavy gladiator's helmet and up into his throat, bright crimson spurted from beneath the helmet's rim. The smaller fighter released his broken weapon, allowing the larger warrior's body to slump to the ground where it lay twitching in the bloody sand for several minutes as the crowd roared its approval. The crowd's cheering erupted all the louder as Cassius strode into plain sight.

The bloodshed would continue. Thank the gods!