What History Doesn't Know

Hunted

"Therus! Wake up! You've got to see this." a voice whispered in my ear causing me to wake up from my lovely sleep. I grumbled as I woke up. Whoever woke me up better have a good explanation. I rubbed my eyes to see the person better. It was Spartacus.

"Spartacus?" I looked around me. It was still dark. "Why did you wake me up? It's still dark!"

"SSHHHH! Quiet down, Therus. You've got to see this. You won't believe it if I just tell you." he said and went of to the side of Vesuvius. At the edge, I saw I sight, that shocked. A Roman soldiers' camp! They weren't there when I went to sleep.

"Jupiter, where did these clowns pop up from?" I spoke quietly to Spartacus.

"No idea, friend. That's the problem with the Roman army. You never know what they're going to do next. Fortunately, I was in the army before. I've got some tricks of my own."

"Yeah, I remember you telling me about that. Deserting the army. That's what got you into Capua's wonderful school of gladiator hell."

Spartacus looked at me unamused. "Don't push your luck, kid. Follow me, I've told some of the others my plan. Do you still have that ladle I gave you?"

"Umm...yes. Why?"

We walked over to some vines that were hanging of the side of Vesuvius. Some of the other gladiators were tying the vines together. It didn't take me long to guess what he planned.

"Climb off the face of the rock. Clever. Then what?"

"Then, we sneak up behind them and surprise them. Most of them are sleeping in their tents. The ones who aren't are watching us. Have you noticed what direction the guards were facing?"

"The...front?"

"Exactly, Therus. They're so occupied with watching Vesuvius that they are not expecting us from behind which means...?"

"Nobody's watching the rear." I finished for him. "That's brilliant."

I helped the others to tie the vines into long climbing ropes. Once our ropes were done, we tied one end of the rope to a rock. We had to make sure our knot was secure, otherwise...let's just say we'll look like big bird droppings. One by one, we climbed down the rope. Once everyone was down, we hid ourselves from the watchful eyes of the guards. Soon, we were directly behind the camp.

"Here, Therus. Take this." the gladiator named Crixus said as he handed to me what looked like a bow and a flaming arrow.

"Are you insane? I'll burn my hands!"

"Quit your whining and fire."

I grabbed the flaming arrow and bow. As I held the set, it felt as though these things fit right in my hands. Taking aim, I fired at the centre tent which was probably the commanding officer's tent. As soon as I fired, the other gladiators ran towards the camp crying battle cries.

As we ran into the camp, sleepy legionnaires came out of their tents. We easily cut them down. Switching my silly ladle for a gladius I thought, Finally a real weapon. Soon enough, no roman military unit was breathing. We cheered in triumph.

"Spartacus! Spartacus! Spartacus!"

"Thank you, everybody. Please have a good night's rest. We have to move far by morning."

However, morning came way too early. I grumbled as I woke up. When I came out of my tent, I was surprised to see so many people in the camp. Not just men, but elderly people, women and children. And their pots. And their baskets. And their livestock. And who knows what else.

All the gladiators probably had the same question in our heads "Where did this lot come from?" Crixus shouted.

"They're runaway slaves. They want to join us." Spartacus explained.

"Join us? Hah! Look at this lot!" he said as walked up to an old man. "Boo!" The old man became so scared that I thought he would have fainted.

"Crixus, you didn't have to do that. Just relax. We can handle this," Spartacus said as he sighed.

Crixus walked up to Spartacus. "This lot is going to be slowing us down, this lot is going to eat half our food and you want me to RELAX?! You can't handle this, Spartacus. Just admit it. The great Spartacus can't handle something."

It became very quiet. The tension in air was really thick. After a minute of playing their staring competition, Crixus walked off. All Spartacus could do was rub his temples.

Crixus never found peace with Spartacus. They bickered constantly and eventually, the group split into two groups, one led by Spartacus and the other by Crixus. I followed Spartacus. Crixus seemed too much seemed too much of a bastard.

After much wandering and bashing Roman legionnaires, I lost track of where we were. It turns out we were in Rhegium, south of Rome. General Marcus Licinius Crassus and his army were hot on our tail. Going to Rhegium proved not to be our wisest decision. General Crassus had us cornered like mice in a corner. Turning back would not be quite smart, of course, as we walk right into Crassus' arms. At that point, we knew we faced a dire fate.

"What do we do know, Spartacus? There's no where else to go from here," I spoke to Spartacus.

"We stand and fight. No more running." Spartacus said firmly.

We set up camp by the beach as Crassus and his army did the same. Crassus took it a step further and built a wall from one end of the beach to the other so that we couldn't get out.

"I fear we have reached the end of our lives, Therus." Spartacus said to me as we stood by the beach watching the waves roll.

"I hope we could see another year, another month or another week, at least. There has to be a way out."

"It's no use, Therus. They watch our every move." Spartacus sighed and walked away, not wanting to talk anymore.

'Not if I can help it,' I said to myself. These people were intent to go to war with the army. They thought ending their lives on the battlefield would free them of their misery. I, on the other hand, don't intend on dying so early in my life just yet. I should bring Spartacus with me to Gaul. The question was, 'How to get past the Romans?' Then, it felt as though a light bulb appeared on my head. I had the most strangest, craziest idea. So crazy, it might actually work. Unfortunately, it would have to wait until the battle that was yet to come. I spent the rest of the night thinking of the plan, ensuring there were no flaws in it. I feel asleep so enough.