Guardian of Rome (#2 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Rheia sunk her blade into an unsuspecting peasant that looked barely able to hold a sword before taking a moment to judge the situation.

Bodies covered the ground in their own blood as her men continued to push through; though they were outnumbered their skill and training enabled them to hold the upper hand.

Krista’s men were weak, ex-slaves that had never held a sword in their lives, and they fell easily to their strength.

Turning her head to the side, Rheia looked across the forest and paused.

For there, through a gap in the trees, far from the main battle, Rheia saw a face she did not expect to see.

Hurrying over, Rheia was interrupted by one of Krista’s women. She was a frail thing with dirty blond hair and blue eyes filled with fear but there was courage as well.

Rheia wasted no time or energy on the woman.

Kicking the sword out of her hand, Rheia swiped it from the air and turned the blade on its owner, sinking the short sword into the blond woman’s stomach.

Leaving her to fall to the ground, Rheia ran through the forest to reach Dianna.

As she closed in, Rheia saw Frieda cradling her arm against her chest as she battled a pair of Roman soldiers unarmed.

Artorius was knelt on the ground, a dagger in the back of his thigh but he still continued to battle on.

His sword rose above his head, it was only a matter of time before the Roman’s bore down on him with their strength and he lost the battle.

Rheia grabbed Dianna by the arm and threw her to the side, “What in Jupiter’s name are you doing here!?”

Dianna seemed frantic, babbling away to herself as she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Artorius, “She will be happy now,” Dianna bit at her nails, “I did good. The Empress will be happy now.”

Rheia gazed over Dianna’s face with pity, she seemed to have been driven to the ends of her mind.

“Yes?” Dianna suddenly snapped her head around and gazed at Rheia, “You shall tell the Empress what I did, yes?”

“Traitor!” Frieda’s voice rang through the air like a knife causing Dianna to shrink back.

Looking over her shoulder, Rheia saw Artorius with a sword to his throat and a group of Roman’s around him.

However, Frieda was a mad creature and with only one roman left to fight, she kicked his ankles out from beneath him and lunged for the sword she had dropped nearby.

Charging forward, Rheia booted the sword out of reach. As she did so, she kicked the mud up into Frieda’s face, causing her to turn away or risk her own blindness.

“Dianna,” Rheia pointed the tip of her blade against Frieda’s neck and never took her eyes away, “Dianna!”

“Y-yes,” Dianna’s reply was weak and afraid.

“Go back to the camp,” Frieda ordered her.

“The- The camp?” Dianna whispered.

“Krista does not know about you yet,” Frieda rationalised, if Dianna returned to Rome she would be killed by Pompeia for failing.

“Take this dagger,” Rheia slipped the dagger from her belt and replaced the one that was still imbedded in Artorius’s thigh, “And finish your duty.”