A/N - Enjoy, thank you for the reviews and follows.
Previously on Blood and Honor
"I commit my flesh, my mind, my will, to the glory of this ludus and the commands of my master Batiatus. I swear to be burned, beaten, chained, or die by the sword. For the pursuit of honor in the arena."
The letter B was tattooed on the inside of his forearm after his pledge to the ludus, the mark of his master Batiatus.
"Welcome to the brotherhood."
Third Person POV
Perseus stood in his cell underneath the ludus of Batiatus, strapping his thin leather chestplate. Sitting down to tie the shin guards on his legs. He grabbed his trident necklace and stared at it in his hands. Reminiscing of all the good times back in his village in Thrace. His thoughts led him to his mother, his beautiful mother who had given up so much for him, all for her to die by the hand of a barbarian. He tied the trident necklace around his neck and stood up and grabbed his helm that sat on the thin mattress.
The day's training had begun.
His mind wasn't in the day's training, constantly making mistakes, catching the attention of the dark skinned Doctore.
"Perseus!"
He turned around to see the doctore walking towards, whip ready in hand.
"You charge without thought. A weakness an opponent can turn to advantage."
"A difficult thing to do considering his back was facing me."
The doctore stared, "You speak without thought as well." He grabbed Perseus' arm while he wasn't paying attention and knocked his legs out from underneath him and watched him fall to the ground.
"Another weakness." Doctore pointed out.
The men around them started laughing, "Thracians. Only know how to lay on their backs with their legs spread wide."
Luke agreed, "Like they belong."
The doctore interrupted, "Forgot everything that you've learned beyond these walls. For that is the world of men. We are more. We are gladiators!" The men cheered. "Study, train, bleed." The doctore looked at the eyes of the men in front of him one by one carefully, as if knowing which ones would make it to the end. "And one day, your name will be legend. Spoken in hushed whispers, in fear." He finished.
"The city speaks of Luke, the champion of Capua!" The doctore raised his muscled and vascular arm and pointed it towards Luke. "But his legend wasn't born in the arena, it was given life here, in this ludus. Under the sting of my whip." He yelled as he brought his whip down to strike the sand underneath their feet. "Attack!"
The men, including Perseus, got back to their training. Ingraining in the minds and body the forms needed to live in the arena. The doctore walked around them all, nodding and smiling the smallest of smiles, his teachings were paying off.
Soon enough, Perseus was the only one left in the training grounds, still swinging his sword, teaching himself correct footing, and everything else the doctore preached about. Sweat covered his body as he kept going, relentlessly.
He kept going throughout the entire night and was still out there swinging away as the men woke up and got ready for the next day's training session.
The wooden pillars were picked up, thrown back on the ground, and picked up again. Boulders of immense size were rolled around the training ground. Pull ups were performed on the large tree branches around the ludus.
The men were only given a few minutes of rest everyday, water was scarce and most of the time most would only get a cup, two at most, a day. The heat was incredible, making it hard to breathe due to the humidity.
The days had gone by, Perseus doing nothing but train, his reflexes, his mindset, his body had all progressed further. Even though his training at the ludus wasn't as long as some of the other gladiators, he had learned considerably under the teachings of the doctore and could put up a hefty fight. No longer would they embarrass him, instead he was able to disarm some of them.
"Attend!" The doctore announced, carrying a piece of parchment in his hand. "The vulcanalia has been announced." Perseus and the other men gathered around him to hear him speak.
"Vulcanalia?" One asked.
"A festival." The doctore answered. "Master Batiatus, has seen it fit for 20 to fight in this year's vulcanalia." He looked around at their faces, "His gift to the people of Capua. Our lowest gladiators to fight at the start, and then pairs of two to fight before the final fight. Your master will present your primus." He continued, "Two of our finest gladiators, to meet in the arena."
The doctore turned his back and left, leaving the men to wonder just who the two would be.
"Luke then?" Perseus asked the man beside him.
The man nodded, "Luke, certainly."
"And his opponent?"
The man scoffed and looked at him incredulously, "Against the champion of Capua? What would it matter?" He left to go back to his training, leaving Perseus to his own thoughts.
Perseus caught the eyes of Luke staring into his own before turning away and walking back to the cells that lie beneath the ludus.
Ω
Night time had set in with the moon high in the sky, the guards of the ludus were out with torches in their hands protecting the ludus from anyone that wasn't friendly.
"Twenty men. I give them twenty men, I pay for the vulcanalia out of my own pocket and what do I get from the senate? An apology that they won't be able to attend due to pressing concerns."
"For what?" The woman that was in the room asked.
"Hmm, who knows. Rumor has it that he dines with another."
Batiatus walked back inside from where he previously stood and noticed the necklace on his wife's neck, "Is that new?"
She nodded.
Batiatus sighed, "Zeus' cock, the rise of the cost of this fucking place."
"This drought has fucked us over, our coffers are barely filling and without the senate at the vulcanalia we won't get any return."
"Darling, you must spend coin to receive coin." His wife Lucretia said as she sat on his lap. "My husband taught me that." She smiled knowingly.
Batiatus nodded, "A wise man, he is."
She laughed, "She has his moments." She put a hand on his face, "And the vulcanalia will be one of them."
Batiatus clicked his tongue and turned his face, so she went on, "You will gain the favor of the crowd, delight them and secure business for years to come, and perhaps give cause to Glaber to provide patronage to you and Capua."
"Glaber?"
She nodded, "I have received word that his wife will be attending the festival, she's acquired quite a taste for them. I will definitely nourish that and see if she can get word to her husband for us."
Batiatus ran his hands through her newly dyed blonde hair, "This blonde hair suits you."
She winked, "Shall I dye the rest?"
Ω
The sun had risen over the mountains that surrounded the ludus, birds chirped in the morning sun as the city below them bustled with activity. The men were woken up early in honor of the vulcanalia, given more to eat during breakfast than usual.
Picking at his loaf of bread, Perseus sat there thinking to himself as more joined him at the table. He looked over one man's shoulder to see Ethan and another boy feeding a pigeon. Perseus raised his wooden spoon that was for his porridge and pointed it at the bird, "That bird would be better served in my bowl."
"That meal would be your last." One man stated as Perseus looked at him questionably, so he went on, he jerked his head over to Ethan, "Legend has it that when the Romans invaded his village, they made thousands of his people fight in the arena. Only half a day had gone by and he was the only one left. He had slain over a thousand people because his will to survive was so great. Even his own father died by the hands of his son."
The two looked over at Ethan petting the pigeon ever so gently as if it was the most fragile thing he had ever held.
"Is it true?" Perseus asked.
The man in front of him stirred his porridge, "In the world of the gladiators, a man's fame and glory, constructs its own truth."
"Fame and glory… I see neither." Perseus said before returning back to his breakfast.
Ω
"Form one, ready!"
The men all lined up in a line swung their swords as the doctore walked past in front of them.
"One!"
Swords were swung.
"Two!"
Shields were positioned in front of them."
"Form two, ready!"
Swords were brought down in an arc as they all crouched on one knee and brought their shields up over them.
"One!"
They all stood and repeat their stance.
"Two!"
Swords were swung yet again.
During the course of all this actions, Perseus' trident necklace had fallen to the ground. Stopping to pick it up only caused the doctore to walk near him.
"Stand!"
Perseus looked at him as he spoke, "Perseus, do you dream of the mines?"
"No doctore, my dream is only for blood and battle." Such a false answered was necessary to give, he didn't want anyone to know of his real plans.
"Yet your training today proves you of neither."
Perseus looked at him fiercely, "I am a Thracian, the need for battle is in my blood."
"Thrace?" The doctore said as he pulled his pants down, "A swamp of piss." He pissed on the ground in front of Perseus to prove his point, the gladiators around them laughing at the sight.
The doctore pulled his pants up, "Kneel."
Perseus stared at him, fury clouding his mind and judgement. But all the less, he kneeled, too angry to say anything or do much else.
"The lands from which you hail matters no longer." The doctore said as he walked around Perseus to stand behind him, "The only thing that does is the sound of my voice and the sand beneath your feet." He kicked Perseus' back and watched him fall face first into the damp, piss covered sand. The gladiators around them once again laughing at him.
Perseus stood up and spit the sand out that had gotten in his mouth.
The doctore went out, "You will learn to worship it, back to training!" He walked away.
"The sand smells like Thrace." Luke walked forward, "Perhaps I should shit on it to complete the aroma?"
The men around them laughed once more.
A guard walked forward and stood in front of Luke, "You are summoned."
Ω
Walking up the stairs of the ludus, Luke found himself in front of a servant, one he had never seen before. Her dark black hair and her bright blue eyes stood out, her skin was a pale white.
Luke had never before seen such beauty.
"My lady has summoned you to her chambers."
Luke didn't listen to her, "What is your name?"
She didn't respond, so he went on, "I have never seen you here before."
"I was just recently bought at the slave auction." Her eyes didn't meet his when she spoke.
"Will you watch me in the games later tonight?"
She shook her head, "I do not favor the games."
He laughed, "That is rather ironic for a slave that works at a gladiator's ludus."
He realize that she took the first part of his comment as an insult, he grabbed her arm, "I did not meet to insult."
She looked at him, hurt. "My lady awaits."
He regretfully nodded as he walked into the chambers of Batiatus' wife, Lucretia.
"You walk too slowly to my chambers." A voice came from behind the curtain.
"I did not meet to arouse any suspicion or make the men think I was here to kill you, my lady." Luke said respectfully.
"Then why are you here, champion of Capua?"
Luke looked down, "Whatever my lady desires."
Luke stood there and watched as the wife of Batiatus and the lady of the ludus walked before him in all her nude glory.
"I bought this necklace for the festival reception. Do you think it's too much?" She asked him as she toyed with the emerald necklace that was around her neck.
Luke nodded, "It makes my blood rise and boil. But not at the necklace, but for the person wearing it." He said those words in disgust as he looked into the eyes of the woman.
"And just makes blood boil?" She walked towards him.
He kept his eyes fixed on her and said in covered disgust, "Your lips, your breath, and all of the pleasures below." He said the last part and took a good look at her body.
She walked in front of him and rubbed her hand down his chest and down his chiseled abs and inside his pants and grabbed him.
She brought her face near his ear and whispered, "I need your cock inside me." She kissed him, "And I need it in me now."
He kissed her and pushed her on her bed.
Ω
"Never lose focus!" The doctore said as he watched a gladiator fall to the ground, having lost the spar between him and another.
He pointed at the man on the ground with his whip, "A gladiator's first distraction is his last. But not all contests end in death."
The man on the ground raised two fingers.
"Two fingers, a sign of surrender. And shame."
'To surrender in the arena?' Perseus thought to himself, 'I cannot do it.'
Ω
"Gather!" The doctore said as he stood before the men who had started bathing for the festival that night. "Your master's hand has been at work. The pairings for the vulcanalia have been decided." He turned towards Luke, "Luke, champion of Capua and the undefeated. You will honor the house of Batiatus in the festival's primus tonight."
"Who will challenge me doctore?" He said as he stood before the dark skinned man.
"A man of skill and dedication. His ability, his hard work and his hunger shall be rewarded." The dark skinned doctore said, "Will!"
The figure of a blonde man walked forward and clasped forearms with Luke, "An honor to finally meet you in battle brother."
"Just don't die too soon."
"I will fuck your corpse."
Both men laughed and wrapped arms around one another, a sign of brotherhood.
"The rest will be announced by Grover." The doctore turned his back and left as Perseus turned to look at the boy that held the parchment, he's legs both had steel braces around them, evident that he had a hard time walking.
The men didn't give the boy a chance as they pushed him aside and grabbed the parchment out of his hands.
Perseus was the last of the men who read the parchment, seeing his name at the very bottom of the list, pitted against the boy with the leg braces, Grover.
He growled in anger, to have him fight at the beginning of the games as one of the lowest of gladiators was an insult to him. He had to work his way up.
Ω
The festival preparations had begun as men were doing their final moments of training, the man that was supposed to fight Luke in the primus of the festival stood by the wall of the ludus, throwing his net over a wooden dummy and spearing it later.
Perseus walked over, "Your aim is exquisite with that aim of yours, battling a ferocious wooden dummy." His voice dripped of sarcasm. "There you stand with your fierce net, like a girl."
Will in anger ran towards Perseus only for him to move out of the way, his face slammed into the wall as his nose broke and blood rushed down his face, dripping from both nostrils and passed out moments after.
The men stopped their workout soon afterwards wanting to see what was going on. The doctore walked over to see what had happened, his gaze accusingly looking at Perseus.
"The man has gone mad, the early day sun from earlier today has fallen over his head." Perseus said innocently.
"I saw his eyes, they were wild with thirst." The boy from earlier, Grover, said. Perseus looked over at him in surprise, he hadn't expected the boy to help him in his lie.
The doctore sighed, "Tend to the man!" He barked.
Two men rushed over and grabbed Will by his arms and carried him off to the cells beneath the ludus, calling a healer to come tend to his wounds.
"Back to work!" The doctore yelled as the men who were standing around went back to their last minute training.
An hour had passed, and the doctore returned. "Gladiators! Your time has come, get dressed, the reception starts soon."
Bathing themselves in a quick manner the gladiators were then given a thin long toga like cloth to cover themselves. One half of the cloth wrapped around their waist and ended mid thigh, the other half draped around their shoulders, leaving their chest visible.
When Perseus and the others entered the reception hall, the reception had already begun. Guests of honor from many cities walked around, the feast was grand and was noticeably exquisite.
"Friends, old and new." Batiatus started as he made his way to the center, I thank you for honoring the ludus of Batiatus with your presence this fine eve. Tonight's vulcanalia promises many glories in the arena, but for now, may I present to you the finest gladiator's in the entire republic!"
Perseus and the rest were ushed out towards the center as all eyes were on them.
"Look, touch and feel the quality of my gladiators! Place bets on the men you covet. Come! Don't be bashful, they won't bite." Batiatus beckoned his guests towards his gladiators. For good measure he added jokingly, "And if they do, a ten percent discount." Light laughter rang through the crowd.
The guests, especially the female ones made their way over to Perseus and the others, touching them, feeling their muscles.
As they were doing that, Batiatus made his way over to the doctore who was standing off to the side against the wall. "The crowded favors the Thracian, don't they?" He asked as both watched as many of the females were all around Perseus, feeling his muscles underneath their soft hands, his performance against four other gladiators had gotten their interest.
The doctore nodded, "Curiosity. Of how he managed to kill four men in the arena without being trained as one."
"Perhaps we can fuel this interest in the way of coin. With Will out of commission and his nose broken, he won't be able to fight in the primus tonight. What would you make of Perseus as a replacement for him in the primus?" He asked his servant.
"With respect Batiatus, the public wants to see a fight, Perseus is still an animal in regards to the other ones."
Batiatus nodded, "One day else then." He didn't say anything else before leaving.
He had other plans.
"Good citizens, you have enjoyed my food, my wine, my beautiful presence of my wife, now marvel at the announce of tonight's primus! Luke! The champion of Capua, will stride across the sands of the arena to fight against the Thracian, Perseus!"
The doctore looked at his master Batiatus with surprise, he had no idea he would set those two up for battle in the arena.
The gladiators around the hall also looked surprise, many of them had spent years at the ludus, training, putting their hardest efforts in to be a part of the primus, only for it to be given to someone new.
"A fight for the ages, glory to Capua! Glory to Rome!" Batiatus' hype proved to be successful as the men and women around them cheered for the primus fight that was soon to come later that night.
Ω
The newly bought slave girl walked down the stairs that led to the cellar on her ladies orders to get more wine, she bent down to grab the last jug but a hand grabbed her shoulder. Startled she dropped the jug and watched as the contents got all over the ground, the wine seeped into the cracks on the ground and drizzled down cell.
"I did not mean to startle. When we spoke last, I meant no offense." Luke said to the girl that was bent over the ground, collecting the broken pieces of the jug off the floor, a panicked look on her face. "I am practiced with sword, not words."
She shook her face, "If my lady discovers I dropped the last jug of wine-" She didn't finish her sentence because she knew what her punishment would be.
Luke stuck his arm out the cell door, "Hand me the pieces, I'll see them over the cliff."
The girl carefully placed the broken pieces of the jug in his hands as Luke stuck his other hand out and placed his hand above hers. He stared into her bright blue eyes. They were electrifyingly blue and yet beautiful.
She got up to leave.
"Wait!"
She stopped but didn't turn around.
"Will you be watching me later tonight?"
She didn't say anything, only repeated what she had told him last time, "I am not a fan of these games."
She walked up the stairs that led up the cell, he watched her go up. She turned around and stopped once again, "My name is Thalia."
For the first time in his life, he smiled a true genuine smile out of happiness.
Ω
The time had come for the final primus, Perseus stood watching the rest of the gladiators fight in their events one by one, a few had fallen to the sword but none were too relevant to be remembered.
The men shamed him and said he had no chance.
"Hah! This little man thinks he can take on anyone, he probably thinks he can defeat Thanatos himself!"
Perseus nodded, "Perhaps, if I knew the man."
The man that had spoken quieted down, "Thanatos. The shadow of death. Thanatos is no man, Thracian. He is something else entirely. They say he stands ten feet tall, the very ground trembling at his feet. His figure, eclipsing the sun. Most would would faint at the sight of the giant. But they are the fortunate ones." He gulped, scared at his own story, and continued, "He had the power to sever a man in half without breaking a sweat. My father said his shadow fought a hundred men at once, but only one survived."
Perseus shook his head, "Nothing but a tale to frighten children."
"Thanatos is no legend. Before he retired from the arena, only one man faced him and ever lived." One man said
"And he breathes among us." Another man finished. "His whip ever at our backs."
The doctore walked up and stood in front of the cell, "Now is not the time for idle talk. You fight Luke next, Thracian. Get ready."
When Perseus stepped foot into the arena, dark clouds had gathered above, the thunderous sound of lightning was there but no lightning struck the ground. The stands were filled to the brim with people, all cheering and going wild.
Perseus' trident necklace glowed brightly underneath his chestplate as he walked towards the center of the arena and stood before the champion of Capua, Luke.
The crowd cheered louder at his appearance.
"Marvel before your knees at the champion of Capua!" Batiatus spoke loudly and introduced the fighters, "He is known by his sword, by his shield, by his glory!" Luke cheered with his sword and shield in the air.
The girl from earlier, Thalia, stood behind her lady and stared down at Luke with a certain emotion evident on her face. He noticed, but couldn't quite tell.
"In the sacred name of Batiatus-" He couldn't finish, Perseus had already started fighting before their master even told them to begin.
Perseus charged at him, only for Luke to place his shield on top of him. Perseus placed his foot on top of the shield and jumped over him, bringing his sword down towards him, only to be blocked by Luke's blade.
Batiatus looked down in anger, specifically pointed at Perseus, the man wouldn't even let him finish his speech. An animal, just like the doctore said.
The two gladiators fought gracefully in a circle, neither allowing the other to cut the other. But soon enough, Perseus knew that his body wasn't accustomed to the harsh realities of the arena. He did not have the endurance like Luke had.
He would eventually tire, while Luke wouldn't.
Perseus slammed into Luke with his shield, tossing him onto the sands only for Luke to roll out of the way and swept his blade at Perseus' legs. Perseus jumped up to evade the strike. He brought his sword down and tried to cut the man in front of him, Luke raised his shield and laughed, angering Perseus even more.
Sword met sword as sparks flew, shield met shield as pieces were broken off, sword hits were bounced off shields, bodies were pushed to the ground but the cruel training the doctore had put them through wouldn't let their defeats be so easy.
Perseus could see no openings in Luke's defense, the blonde Athenian was quite the swordsmen he would admit. However, Luke on the other hand clearly saw an opening that he would soon take advantage of. Just as doctore had said, Perseus charged without thinking and put his entire body weight into those sword strikes.
Luke saw him charge at him one more time, he side stepped and slammed his shield into the open left side of Perseus, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to the ground wheezing for air.
For the majority of the fight, Perseus was on the offensive and Luke was taking hits from nonstop, all fruitless on Perseus' end.
He had tired himself out too quickly.
Perseus knew that he had lost.
The doctore shook his head at his student's easy defeat.
Luke stood over Perseus as the crowd watched his body lay on the bloody sands of the arena, his sword kicked from his grasp. Luke laughed down at him and slashed his arms and legs and watched as blood dripped down and covered his limbs as it then dripped down onto the sand and got mixed with the other gladiator's blood that had previously covered the sands.
Luke took his helm off as he watched Perseus try to wiggle his way towards his sword. He looked over at Batiatus and saw his master nod his head, his eyes locked with the girl behind them as he marveled in her beauty in the middle of the fight.
Luke kicked Perseus in the face as he spit out blood, "Now now Thracian, is that all you're capable of?"
He walked towards Perseus' head and grabbed it, pulling him off the sand and got behind him and put his sword to his neck. Luke could already himself cutting the Thracians head off. His bloodlust overwhelming him.
"Now you die, Thracian." He whispered in his ear as he looked up at Batiatus and waited for his signal.
Perseus laid there with a sword on his neck, threatening to end his life. He had been beaten, outmatched and outclassed in every possible way. He had been embarrassed. But no, he couldn't die here. Not yet, not when he still had things to do.
The crowd cheered for his death, screaming at the top of their lungs, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Perseus thought of his mother, she had told him to kill them all, and he planned on just doing that.
He remembered, two fingers, the doctore had said, a sign of surrender.
He raised two fingers into the air and watched as Batiatus squinted his eyes and watched in disbelief at what he was seeing.
Batiatus stood, "Perseus fought well." The crowd booed, "Let him live to fight another day."
Luke sneered in anger and removed the blade that was on Perseus' neck and threw him to the ground and walked away striding in anger.
Ω
That night Perseus sat alone in his cell, his body aching in pain. He had yet to bathe, dried blood and sand stuck to his skin as he carefully removed his armor so it wouldn't hurt his wounds further.
"His reputation is well earned," Perseus said carefully to the figure that stood in front of his cell late at night "My blade could find no weakness."
The doctore took a deep breath and sighed and walked into his cell and sat stood right in front of him, "And yet a weakness was there, at least ten points. Where you could've seized advantage." The doctore shook his head, "You needed more training."
Perseus looked up into the eyes of the doctore, a newfound determination shining in his bright green eyes. "I shall train harder then."
"No." The doctore disagreed, "It is far too late for such things." He walked away with that last sentence.
Perseus grabbed the trident necklace and clutched it to his chest as it once again glowed a bright green.
A tear ran down his face.
A/N - Thank you for reading, please do leave a review and tell me what you thought about the chapter, as well as what you think about the story so far.
