The stadium cheers and chants make Aurelius go deaf. It is immensely loud, still he doesn't throw his hands up to his ears to stop the noise or at lease lessen it.
"There is two teams, which have already been divided." Claudius explains amongst the ravaging crowd. "The slaves." He motions left hand to the slaves. "And the nobles." His hand moves to the right.
"The rules are very simple. The race is seven laps each. Now everyone will need to work together in the chariot to win, so you need communication and skills. There should be minimum fighting, save it for the gladiator match." Claudius chuckles. Nobles are on the inside and slaves on the outside. You will go on the sound of the horn. Your teammates may get hurt, but you mustn't go back to help, if you do that will cost you the race and possibly your lives." Claudius narrows his eyes at Aurelius so only he can see.
"Everyone load up." He claps.
Aurelius and everyone does as they are told. It seems automatic, it's all Aurelius and other slaves have been doing their lives.
The chariot is hooked up to two horses, both brown and brown hair. They are hooked up with equipment around their mouth and all around their body. Aurelius can't help but to feel sorry for them.
They all cram in and squished together. To hold five in a chariot is squished and Aurelius is looking around frantically to hold on. He knows that this won't be a mellow ride. This would be a fight.
"Does anyone know how to drive this?" Someone asks.
Aurelius looks and he notices it's the guy who was last night the most terrified. He wonders what has overcame him. He doesn't ask.
When no one answers he sighs then grabs the reins. "I guess I'll try." One says, his voice is flat and hopeless, so is everyone else. Including Aurelius. He knows this will be near impossible to win.
A noise is heard in the stadium and that's the story of the race. Off they go. The horses of the nobles race off, while Aurelius and the other slaves' horses don't move.
Everyone looks around confused. They all thought the horses have been doing this for all their lives surely they know when to go, but it would appear not.
"Go!" One shouts.
"Come on!" Says the lead.
Aurelius notices the reins. "Slap them." He says without realizing before its out his mouth.
The others don't say anything, they have no time to waste so the lead does and off the horses go. It would take a miracle just to catch up with them, let alone win.
At the sudden burst of the horse everyone flings around each other and grasp to hold on, lest someone falls off.
Aurelius clutches the edge of the chariot trying to hold on. He knows if he doesn't he will get hurt, the amount will vary.
They approach the first corner. Aurelius notices that no one is holding the reins, for now. Aurelius knows someone must steer, or the turn would be rough and not smoothly.
"Pick up the reins!" Aurelius shouts in worry. The lead does. "And pull to the side when we start the turn."
"What way?" The lead shouts back at Aurelius.
"I don't know." Aurelius hates that now it seems like all is relying on him.
They start the turn and the lead pulls the reins forcefully. The horse whips to one side, not the right side and the chariot flies to the side, and everyone hangs on. Aurelius is on the outside and he is so close to the pavement he could reach out and touch it, but if he does he will certainly get scabs an possibly fall off. The lead pulls to the opposite side he turned last. The horses take it sharp and the are threaten to fall out again. The chariot starts to lean but they save it.
"Not so forcefully." Aurelius point out. It's a steady turn.The lead nods and they approach the second one. "Turn the same way you did the last time, and not sharp." Aurelius adds, worry ending his way into him, he tries to hide it and be strong, so they can pull themselves together.
Gradually he pulls the reins. They still can't see their opponents. They all look back to watch them come up behind them, but to all their relive they aren't to be seen. They still have a hope to not be beaten too badly.
Another straight away. They all wait, but everything is in fast motion that somehow the next turn is already there.
"We need to make the horse go faster." Aurelius points out.
"How do we make that happen?" Someone asks.
"Well if hitting the reins makes the horse go and pulling it makes the horse turn. Maybe, it's a long shot, maybe-" Aurelius ponders
"Then hitting the reins will make them go faster." The lead finished.
"My thoughts exactly." Aurelius agrees.
"That's highly unlikely." Someone adds.
"Well do you have another idea, and quick, we must waste no time." Another adds.
The first one stays silent. Then. "It's worth a try."
The lead doesn't look for approval. He lifts up the reins then slaps them hard, again, and once more. The horses pick up speed rapidly, and before they know it they are on lap two, and they see a bit ahead, finally the nobles ahead of them, Only two hundred meters ahead. They may still be in this.
The race rapidly, but still making little progress to catch them. They are going so fast they are all afraid to go faster and raise the risk of injury. They wait and hang back until the last lap. Then alas they take the risk in the sixth hoping to get as close to their opponents as possible.
They go faster and they whip around the first turn in the last lap. Thy all shout at the sudden speed and the quick turn. Then they hear a cry. Aurelius spins around to see one of them has fallen out. Aurelius catches the end of the fall. He tumbled around, and his limbs bend in not a normal way. He doesn't hear it crack, or barely the sound of him, that sounds so inhumane. He knows however it's there, but the roar of the crowd engulfed it in their laughter, shouts, and screams. Aurelius whirls back around to his teammates. One shakes his head at him as if he knew what Aurelius was going to say before he did.
"We can't just leave him there!" Aurelius protests.
"We can't, you heard the rules." Says the third.
Aurelius scowls then stares back at the broken man. He shakes his head. Suddenly before Aurelius can change he mind and knock some common sense into him he dives out of the cart, carefully but with rush and momentum like the other.
The man notices and a smile, an aching smile appears on his face. "You shouldn't have came." The man says, even though he is appreciating that someone cares. "You, too will be punished."
