gladiator who
lost a battle. ”Bloody Heracles“ had funded the game to please the
public in order to be elected as senator. He has the final say about
the fates of the gladiators in the arena.
The gladiators swore to“Bloody Heracles”and the crowd,
“We who are about to die salutes to you. ”
The white sand was spotless. Eric glanced at the crowd and
sawbloodthirsty men placing bets, women waving at their favorite
gladiators, and children staring at him.
At 9:30, trees were set up and hunters armed with simple
spears tracked down leopards. All morning, hunters threw spears
at leopards who tried to sneak up on them. In the end, all 10
hunters were killed and 3 out of the 10 leopards remained. The
crowd booed angrily. “Bloody Heracles” hurled javelins and killed
the leopards.
At 11:00, the duel started.
Zing, dressed in a swordsman’s armor, a shield, and a
broadsword, trooped onto the battlefield.
His opponent, Vermin, armed with a polearm and a small
shield, marched on too. Vermin was a man of 21. He was tall and
strong. He had golden hair and seemed agile.
Zing tried to block Vermin’s attacks. It was useless. But Vermin
was unable to pierce Zing’s upper chest. Vermin clumsily
leapt out of Zing’s way when Zing tried to strike. It was a deadlock
until Vermin launched an over stab. Zing leapt back, but
wasn’t fast enough to step out of his next move, an overall wide
swinging arc. Zing fell after a powerful blow from Vermin and lay
on the dust. Vermin moved in for the kill, then he brought his
deadly polearmdown.
Suddenly, Zing sprang up；parrying the deadly thrust of his
enemy and then drove his sword forward with all his might. It
passed Vermin’s belly armor and drove inside the man’s chest.
Vermin buckled. Some from the crowd cheered as the red spray of
blood painted the arena sand.
Vermin had won many battles before and was a famous gladiator.
Many of the crowd were so excited they hurled gold at the
combatants.
Slowly, Vermin stood up, and stated to run. Zing, in his heavy
armor, ran after him. Vermin dropped his polearm to lighten his
load and ran on, leaving a trail of blood behind him. The daily 10
miles march paid off. They ran along the great arena three times,
encouraged by the cheering of the crowd. Although Vermin
was dying, he was beating Zing in the footrace since he had
little armor.
Suddenly Zing had an idea. He picked up Vermin’s polearm
and hurled it with the last of his youthful strength. It bit into Vermin’s
shoulder, and Vermin fell. He was trying to get up again
when Zing sprang upon him. He was defeated, and his moment of
glory was up.
With one foot on Vermin’s quivering back, Zing raised his
sword in the air. He was victorious. With a thumb down from
“Bloody Heracles”, Vermin was to be killed. Zing, with regret,
brought his sword down on Vermin’s heart. Vermin’s brown eyes
stared at“Bloody Heracles”and soon died.
The body disposer came with red hot iron and drove it at Vermin’back.
When the body didn’t flinch, he gathered Vermin’s
arms, took the body by the ankles, and went out of sight.
Zing was beaming with pride. He was the winner. Men showered
himwith gold and ladies gazed adorably at him.
He climbed out of the arena and was met by Eric and Jan.
Both of themadmitted this was a close battle.
“I didn’t think you would win that one,”said Jan.
“I’mbeginning to feel weak in the knee”,
joked Eric.
More combats followed and would last all day. The workers
rolled a machine on the marble floor, cleaning it of blood. New
sands were piled.
The next round was between Eric and Jimmy.
Eric walked into the center of the field. His heart pounded.
He had prayed to Mars, the great God of War. He wasn’t afraid.
He was just nervous.
His opponent, Jimmy walked on too. Jimmy was barely 16. It
wouldn’t do any good to have him a swordsman. Jimmy was a
marksman.
The battle began.
Jimmy pulled his bow. Tang, Tang. Eric easily blocked them.
Jimmy, with no armor at all, turned and fled. Eric followed. Jimmy
seemed slow. As Eric drew nearer, Jimmy turned back and fired.
Eric moved his shield in place and drove forward. Then he heard
an empty‘Dong’, but no arrowcame out Jimmy’s bow.
“Yes”, thought Eric and followed,“Jimmy must be out of arrows.
”Eric threw his shield down to lighten his load, a fatal decision.
Jimmy was secretly loading his last arrow. As Eric drew
nearer, Jimmy turned and fired. He was disturbed by the roaring of
the crowd. The arrowflew, and hit into Eric’s shoulder blade.
Eric dropped his sword. The pain was intense. He peered at
the crowd and saw Siri shouting warnings at him. Then he saw
Jimmy charging for his fallen sword. Eric grabbed the sword before
Jimmy could reach it, and flung it like a dagger. It aimed true
and pierced Jimmy’s leg.
Jimmy grimaced in pain as he tried to pull the sword out. He totally
forgot about Eric. While Eric did it for him, the boy felt an in
tense pain and rolled over. Blood sputtered everywhere. Jimmy faint-
ed on the battlefield, his leg bleeding. The whites and was red again.
Eric, believing Jimmy was dead, walked off.
The disposer man came again with red hot iron and drove it at
Jimmy’s side, but the youth reared up in pain. He was still alive.
Eric was ordered to cut Jimmy’s throat. He closed his eyes
and tried to miss.
Then Jimmy told him in a whisper, “If you ever know me,
then please…kill me.”
Eric couldn’t look into his eyes. “I’m sorry for this”, he said,
tremble in his voice.
Then, Eric stepped up and cut at Jimmy’s throat. Jimmy
raised head at the blow, and his head rolled clean off onto the
sand.
Jimmy was dead.
The disposer man came again and sizzled Jimmy’s flesh.
Jimmy didn’t flinch. So the man rolled Jimmy into the disposer
chamber.
At lunch, Eric tried to find Zing and Jan, but it was not an
easy job. Gladiators were arriving from all around the Roman Republic
for the last fight, the group fight. There were people everywhere.
To his surprise, Durum found him first.
“Come with me. ”He said in a friendly tone. Eric followed,
the arrow still on his shoulder. Durum told him to wait at the entrance
of the arena.
Eric went to the entrance. Agirl with black hair came.
“Oh Eric, I’m so glad you survived.”
Then Siri saw the arrow.
“You’re hurt. ”
Grimacing in pain now that he realized it, he tried to pull the
hook-like arrowout. It was stuck fast.
Zing and Jan came running toward them. Before Eric could
do anything, Zing had pulled the arrow out of Eric’s shoulder. Siri
was heart broken when she saw blood bleeding. Eri
c grimaced
while Siri bandaged him.
Zing said“, Jan’s going to fight Hanford afternoon.”Hansford
was an 18-year-old Germanic boy.
In the afternoon, Jan met Hanford and a fierce swordfight
started. The two were one clump as sword flashed in the air. When
the two swordsmen backed off after what seemed like hours, both
were wounded.
Grimily, Hanford thought of a trick. He suddenly used his
shield and hit Jan on the forehead. Jan fell back and rolled down
the slope of the arena. Hanford followed. With one ankle on Jan’s
throat, he declared himself the victor.
The majority of the crowed favored Jan to die.
With a deadly thrust, Hanford planted his sword into Jan’s
chest. It sank in but missed Jan’s heart. With a cry, Jan pushed his
saber at Hanford’s chest in return. It sank into Hanford’s lung but
also missed Hanford’s heart. With a cry, Hansford fell back.
Jan got up too late to catch him. Hanford ran for his life but
all effort was in vain. He was dying. Soon, he halted and fell to the
ground, too weak to run.
In seconds, Jan was on him. Feet on Hanford’s throat, he
tried to declare himself the victor. With the last of his strength,
Hanford pushed his sword at Jan’s ankle. It hit Jan but wasn’t enough
to cut through. Ignoring the intense pain, Jan knocked Hanford
out with the butt of his sword.
The crowed favored Hanford to die. Jan pushed his sword into
the unconscious Hanford. Hanford’s limbs reared up from the
impact then fell limp.
Jan limped out of the arena, blood oozing out of his ankle and
chest. After the medics treated his chest, bandaged his many
wounds, and drugged him, they sent Jan to his room.
As combats raged outside, Eric and Zing visited Jan to prepare
him for when the drug wore off. Jan asked them to bury him
good if he died. Chances were, he might not live through another
battle.
“If you die”,“
Eric told him”, we would make sure you get
sent back to Carthage“. So it was decided.
The next day, Eric met someone who made his heart light up.
It was Hector, his lost friend captured at the bank of Spain.
The four friends prepared themselves for the hunting group
fight that will follow. The battle would feature 100 swordsmen,
100 marksmen, 100 heavy axmen and mace men, 100 halberdiers,
50 cavalry and 1 Roman commander, on each side.
Siri came to see Eric in the