Commodus kept repeatedly slashing at Maximus with his knife. Every
time he did, the gallant Roman solider would back away, losing all his
strength slowly. While Lucilla watched from her balcony, sick with fear of
the outcome of the spontaneous battle, she didn't have to hide the
expression on her face from fear anymore. She gazed down at the ground,
with a look of terror and helplessness. The two warriors couldn't fight
forever. And when the match ended, the princess knew that one of them
would be lying in the blood-spattered sand, dead. Lucius was sitting in
his chair at her side, gripping the arms, not quite sure of the absolute
madness that his uncle was going through, just for power over the Roman
empire.
Lucilla couldn't stand it anymore. She rushed to the edge of the balcony and gripped her shaking hands on the edge. As she stared down, she could see Quintus, standing on the inside of the vast circle that Commodus' Praetorian had formed, holding their immense shields. He was staring out at the sick swordfight with no expression on his face.
Lucilla bit her lip in anger. This man had once been so loyal to Maximus. How dare he turn on him like that and give out the order for his wife and son to be killed? She knew he had only done it to save his own skin and what kind of warrior - soldier - did that, to his commanding officer?
Quintus suddenly caught eyes with Lucilla. He looked at her and she looked back, pleading with her eyes to stop the fight. It was becoming more intense, drawing down to the final minutes and something had to be done soon. There were no longer any sounds of the clanging swords; only her brother's angry grunts as he tried to slash Maximus with his knife, who was stumbling through the whole thing. Both their swords lay in the sand, forgotten.
All at once, everything seemed to happen so fast. Quintus suddenly marched out into the circle and the entire Coliseum fell silent. The cries of the people silenced, as they watched Quintus yell out to the Praetorian. Then, all of the - at least, forty of them - soldiers closed in on the warriors at once. It was a swarm of black as they advanced on Commodus, who fell to the ground as Maximus heavily punched him. They both looked around at the swarm, in confusion. Commodus leapt up and frantically tried to command the soldiers. "What are you doing?" he was yelling. "What are you doing?"
They paid him no mind. Lucilla watched in awe as her brother lost his power and authority over his once violently obedient henchmen. They grabbed him around the arms and he struggled with all of his might to be free. But it was of no use. They dragged him away as he screamed at them to let him go. As one, they all marched off the battlefield and burst through the doors that led underneath the mighty Coliseum to where the rest of the prisoners were kept captive. The entire arena was silent except for Commodus' continuous screams which echoed away into his soon-to-be prison, Lucilla knew.
She felt tears running down her face and her eyes traveled back to Maximus who the Praetorian had not touched. He was swaying back and forth, trying to keep his balance. A thick line of blood was running from under his armor and had almost reached his sandals. Commodus must have done something to him, she thought. It was incredible at the level of hatred she was feeling for her brother at this time.
The far doors of the arena opened and Lucilla gasped as all of the gladiators that she had watched, had seen fight along Maximus, rushed out, running toward Maximus who looked almost near collapse. Juba, Maximus' closest friend, reached him first. He stopped in front of Maximus and reached out towards his shoulder.
And that was when he collapsed into Juba's arms. A hoarse cry escaped Lucilla and Lucius came up to her and threw his arms around her middle. She moaned again and squeezed her son's shoulders. Juba held up Maximus and yelled at someone to come help. Haken ran over and took Maximus' left arm over his shoulder. Was he still alive?
The other gladiators came over, and helped drag the Roman soldier off the grounds. But before the immense doors swallowed the pack up, Lucilla faintly saw Maximus turn his head to look back at her. He was alive! Her tears increased and she looked up at the heavens and thanked them for allowing him to live, alive and still a soldier.
* * *
Above the top of the Coliseum, the sun was still rising.
Lucilla couldn't stand it anymore. She rushed to the edge of the balcony and gripped her shaking hands on the edge. As she stared down, she could see Quintus, standing on the inside of the vast circle that Commodus' Praetorian had formed, holding their immense shields. He was staring out at the sick swordfight with no expression on his face.
Lucilla bit her lip in anger. This man had once been so loyal to Maximus. How dare he turn on him like that and give out the order for his wife and son to be killed? She knew he had only done it to save his own skin and what kind of warrior - soldier - did that, to his commanding officer?
Quintus suddenly caught eyes with Lucilla. He looked at her and she looked back, pleading with her eyes to stop the fight. It was becoming more intense, drawing down to the final minutes and something had to be done soon. There were no longer any sounds of the clanging swords; only her brother's angry grunts as he tried to slash Maximus with his knife, who was stumbling through the whole thing. Both their swords lay in the sand, forgotten.
All at once, everything seemed to happen so fast. Quintus suddenly marched out into the circle and the entire Coliseum fell silent. The cries of the people silenced, as they watched Quintus yell out to the Praetorian. Then, all of the - at least, forty of them - soldiers closed in on the warriors at once. It was a swarm of black as they advanced on Commodus, who fell to the ground as Maximus heavily punched him. They both looked around at the swarm, in confusion. Commodus leapt up and frantically tried to command the soldiers. "What are you doing?" he was yelling. "What are you doing?"
They paid him no mind. Lucilla watched in awe as her brother lost his power and authority over his once violently obedient henchmen. They grabbed him around the arms and he struggled with all of his might to be free. But it was of no use. They dragged him away as he screamed at them to let him go. As one, they all marched off the battlefield and burst through the doors that led underneath the mighty Coliseum to where the rest of the prisoners were kept captive. The entire arena was silent except for Commodus' continuous screams which echoed away into his soon-to-be prison, Lucilla knew.
She felt tears running down her face and her eyes traveled back to Maximus who the Praetorian had not touched. He was swaying back and forth, trying to keep his balance. A thick line of blood was running from under his armor and had almost reached his sandals. Commodus must have done something to him, she thought. It was incredible at the level of hatred she was feeling for her brother at this time.
The far doors of the arena opened and Lucilla gasped as all of the gladiators that she had watched, had seen fight along Maximus, rushed out, running toward Maximus who looked almost near collapse. Juba, Maximus' closest friend, reached him first. He stopped in front of Maximus and reached out towards his shoulder.
And that was when he collapsed into Juba's arms. A hoarse cry escaped Lucilla and Lucius came up to her and threw his arms around her middle. She moaned again and squeezed her son's shoulders. Juba held up Maximus and yelled at someone to come help. Haken ran over and took Maximus' left arm over his shoulder. Was he still alive?
The other gladiators came over, and helped drag the Roman soldier off the grounds. But before the immense doors swallowed the pack up, Lucilla faintly saw Maximus turn his head to look back at her. He was alive! Her tears increased and she looked up at the heavens and thanked them for allowing him to live, alive and still a soldier.
* * *
Above the top of the Coliseum, the sun was still rising.