DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely because I want it to
Wake up my beauties, rise and shine, it's a brand new day and the mortal world is at peace... but not for long. Just look at them... I write one scene and their whole world unravels into chaos... glorious chaos
Huh-what the... oh... only a dream (notices you all sitting in your seats)... erm... pretend you didn't see any of that... please... pretty please
(Clears throat) Well... might as well get started
HELLO ALL AND WELCOME BACK
Hmm, to split or not to split... that is the question. I'm going to say this right now, I got WAY too into this chapter, and it ended up being MONSTROUS, nearly twice as long as the last two chapters... so I've split it. This means both will be a little shorter than the last two chapters, but in trade, you get two chapters for the price of one
Now I know I said Chapter four was going to be my first block of world building, and it is, in a way, both this chapter and the next one were written as one, but have been split to prevent it from being over TEN THOUSAND words long! Yea... I got a little carried away... let's just say there was a lot of things I wanted to do this chapter and it got away from me a bit
So to break it down
This chapter will deal with the consequences of Kallen's actions at the end of the previous chapter, and how she reacts to those consequences
The next chapter will be our world building, and platform from which the story will continue
Now for reviews
MM Browsing - glad to see you're still liking this, and don't worry, I have plans for Charles and Lelouch, many plans
ArtoriasHellkite - Many thanks my friend, and buckle up because this is going to be one wild ride
And I think that's everything, so...
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all... welcome back to... Awaken, enjoy
Regrets
"Such power... such fury... such... rage... my, my boya, what have you gotten yourself into?" chuckled a girl with long green hair as she kicked her legs back and forth over the lip of the Arena's rim
The place was now deserted, a full moon bathing the arena in its soft glow, but the girl could see everything, her golden eyes glowing with magic as she replayed the day's events. She watched as the red head got forced back, how she burst forward, eyes lit with an inner blue fire, the relentless attack, the subsequent fall, the astonishing comeback
The girl's eyes turned to where the VIP box was, her magic revealing where the Black Prince had stood, eyes wide in awe and disbelief, never leaving the red haired beauty, as she ran her opponent through with his own weapon. She could just see the cogs turning in his head, the myriad of possibilities this new revelation presented... oh yes... he's definitely the one I want
The girl felt a small stab of irritation that she couldn't approach him now, but a promise was a promise, she would not break her oath to Charles, even as much as he seemed to like breaking his to her. "Still," she mused, "This ought to be fun to watch... V.V. can wait a few months more." The girl grinned; she hadn't been this entertained in centuries
Kallen's eyes flickered open, to once again find herself staring at the ceiling of the Ludus infirmary, "Not again," she groaned, moving to sit up, only for her left side to flare in pain, causing her to let out a hiss
"Whoa there, not so fast," she looked up to see Teal'c at her side, a kind smile stretching his lips
"Please don't tell me I fainted again?" Kallen grumbled
"Even if you did, you had a good excuse this time," Teal'c chuckled. At Kallen's raised brow he elaborated, "You took a javelin to the side, just a graze, but it did enough damage to cause some serious bleeding. The doc patched you up good, and with you being as young as you are, you should heal up nice... but you'll be in here for at least a week recovering."
Kallen thumped her head against her pillow, "Great," she growled
"Just be glad you didn't wake up on the streets... or worse," Teal'c added
Kallen frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Teal'c sat back in the chair he was seated in, rubbing his bald head, his stance uncomfortable, "The Ludus master wasn't happy about you killing Crassus... he was really worried Crassus' master was going to demand payment to offset the loss, and well... gladiators are expensive."
At Teal'c's words, the fight came back, Crassus standing over her, sword raised, the glint of sunlight off Crassus' javelin. "Oh gods, what did I do..." Kallen breathed, an arm coming over her head, covering her eyes
"What you had to," came Krem's voice as she wandered over, "You survived... and no one faults you for it."
Kallen looked up at Krem, "I could have just wounded him... I didn't need to," she began
"I told you Kallen, this life comes with risks. Yes, we are expected to go for wounding attacks rather than kills, but it's not a rule per say," Krem interrupted, "In that arena, there is only one real rule... survive no matter the cost, that is something every gladiator, including Crassus, adheres to... if he didn't, he wouldn't have congratulated you at the end there."
Kallen thought back to that final moment, where her and Crassus' eyes had met, his final words rang in her head, "Well... played..." Kallen gave a slight shudder at the memory. It could have so easily been me. For the first time, Kallen understood the risks Krem had said this life entailed, fight or die, kill or be killed, survive, no matter what
"I think I'm going to be sick," Kallen muttered, as her face paled
Teal'c reacted instantly, standing and quickly grabbing a nearby bucket and holding it out to her. Kallen grabbed it, and immediately began retching into it. Krem and Teal'c waited for her to finish, once she'd got it out of her system, Teal'c took the bucket and handed her a water skin, which Kallen began to drink from greedily
After she'd washed the taste of bile from her mouth, she looked up at them, "So what happens now?"
"You rest and recover, and you learn from your mistakes," Krem stated simply
Kallen frowned up at them, "What about the Ludus master?"
"He was worried," Teal'c began as he washed out the bucket, tossing the contents out a nearby window, and using another water skin to clean it. "But someone was apparently looking out for you."
At Kallen's furrowed brow, Krem explained, "The match's sponsor paid Crassus' master for the loss, covering funeral expenses, and even the compensation payment for Crassus' family."
Kallen's eyebrows shot up, "What... his family!?"
Krem nodded, "His wife and three kids, Crassus' friends from his own Ludus, also put some money into the pot for them."
Kallen was shaking now, and the sick feeling returned, thankfully, she was able to hold it in this time... but only barely. He had a family... I just killed a father of three... gods what have I done
Lelouch reviewed yesterday's expenses, overall, it was a little steeper than he had been expecting... but the payout. That power... that fury... that fire... she's perfect, oh the things I could do with an agent like her. It seemed almost a waste to use her as his central piece for his current scheme, there was so much more she was likely capable of. That said, it wasn't likely that she would be up to some of his other schemes... and there was a chance she'd refuse this one too. I need more information
"Villetta," Lelouch barked
The teal haired female knight from before, entered his office
"Yes my Lord?" Villetta asked, bowing
"Head to the Pendragon Ludus and stake it out, I want as much information on Kallen as possible, if she leaves the Ludus for whatever reason, I want you to follow her, record everything," Lelouch commanded
"As you command my Lord," Villetta responded, bowing again, before leaving the room
Milly entered just as she left, "Pushing things forward I see."
"We need to act fast... before something happens to her... she's perfect Milly, a force of nature itself... the things I could do..." Lelouch trailed off distractedly
Milly marched up to him, and pulled him from his paper work, "One scheme at a time, remember?" she said, making sure to match his violet gaze with her own dark blue. "You did promise me," she added
Lelouch sighed, he was getting ahead of himself, "I know, sorry... yesterday was just so...unexpected"
Milly nodded; even she had been surprised by the outcome of yesterday's fight. Surprised, but by no means disappointed. She then took a breath, "Right now though, we need to get ready to head to Julcester," she said
Lelouch frowned, "What for?"
Now Milly scowled at him, "To see off your sister you dummy," she snapped back, slapping him on the shoulder, "You didn't forget, did you?"
Lelouch cursed under his breath, he'd been so wrapped up in planning out their path forward, that he had forgotten. "I suppose a couple days off won't hurt, we can't do anything until we meet with her anyway, and she's going to need time to recover from her injuries," Lelouch said finally
"That a boy, now go get ready," she stated imperiously, smirking as Lelouch stalked away, grumbling something about having her disciplined for bossing around a royal
Luciano lay back, his nude form glistening with sweat from his recent workout, his mind running over yesterday's fight. Between his legs, a head of long black hair bobbed up and down, causing him to shudder with pleasure. He'd never seen anything like yesterday's fight before, Crassus had her cornered, and she still found a way out, he disarmed and floored her, and she still came back from it... she should be dead... but she's not... she's alive, and Crassus is dead in her place
It had been disturbing, to say the least, to see a veteran of the arena, get taken out so easily by a novice... and a girl at that. I'm going to have to tread carefully with this one
"Enjoying yourself?" came a voice off to the side
Luciano didn't bother to look at who it was, but as his companion turned to look, he glared down at her. "Who told you to stop slut," he barked, the girl quickly got back to what she'd been doing, her head bobbing once more. Luciano sighed in pleasure, as he relaxed back again, "The girls here are wonderful... you should try them sometime my friend, your lord too for that matter... much better than fucking a house slave. These girls are trained to please a man, and they make sure nothing ever comes of it either... meaning there's no risk of half-blood, bastard children."
"I'll pass," came the voice again, its tone hard
Luciano shrugged, "Suit yourself," he replied, as he gestured for the girl to stop and turn to the wall, bent over, before getting behind her. "You don't know what you're missing," Luciano sighed, as he began having his way with the girl, who began grunting and moaning with pleasure from his thrusts, egging him on
"Have you got the list?" came the voice again, now very annoyed at Luciano's debauchery
"Still working on it... yesterday's fight has caused me to revise it slightly... she's a lot better than I was expecting," Luciano replied
"She almost got herself killed," the voice stated
"But she didn't, and that my friend, is what counts... in the arena, there are no if's or but's, all that matters, is what did happen," Luciano replied, giving the girl three particularly hard thrusts at his emphasised words, causing her to cry out in both pleasure and pain
"Can you not do that?" the voice said
Luciano simply smirked over his shoulder as he continued to thrust, "Don't worry my friend, you'll get your list, just give me a couple more days... then we'll get the bitch."
"See that you do," the voice replied, before its owner left Luciano to his depraved ways
Kallen knocked on the Ludus master's office door twice, the response was immediate, "Enter." Kallen walked in, the Ludus master was seated at his desk, filing some reports, as he glanced up at her, a servant at his side, holding a number of other documents. He finished the one he was working on, before handing it to the servant, "Leave us," he commanded
The servant nodded, before scuttling past Kallen and out the door, shutting it behind him
Once they were alone, the Ludus master sat back, and stared at Kallen, who shuffled in place, stomach filled with butterflies. Finally, the Ludus master spoke, "You want to tell me what happened out there?"
Kallen looked down shamefully, "I honestly don't know sir..."
The Ludus master frowned, "What do you mean you don't know?"
Kallen took a breath, "One moment I had my back to the wall... the next... I felt... something come over me... it was like I was suddenly filled with an uncontrollable anger and hatred... I rushed Crassus, and he grazed me with that last javelin... after that... whatever small amount of control I had disappeared... after that, I just wanted to kill something... anything." Kallen looked away, unable to meet the Ludus master's gaze
The man sighed, and ran a hand through his thinning grey hair, "Sounds like battle lust to me... wouldn't be the first time it's claimed a young gladiator, and it certainly won't be the last."
Kallen looked back up, her brow furrowed in confusion, "Battle lust?"
The Ludus master nodded, "It's not an uncommon affliction in those who fight, whether they are soldiers or gladiators... essentially, it's the explanation for how soldiers, particularly younger soldiers, anywhere between their 20's and 30's, succumb to the thrill of battle... the desire to kill."
Kallen felt a chill run up her spine, "Can it be cured?"
The Ludus master chuckled, "There is no curing it Kallen... it's not like a normal affliction, it can't be cured... but it can be controlled, it just takes discipline and willpower." He now sat forward, his face serious, "So long as you refuse to give into it... you are the one in control, it has no power over you, so long as you don't give in."
Kallen stood in quiet thought for a moment, then looked back up at him, "And what if I need to, to win?" she asked. Before he could respond, she went on, "If I hadn't given into it... I'd be dead by now, impaled by one of Crassus' javelins."
"He'd have never gone for a kill shot," the Ludus master responded
"Accidents happen, particularly with ranged weapons," Kallen countered, "Whatever it was that afflicted me out there, it helped me win."
"Yes... and it also caused you to kill, when you could have injured instead," the Ludus master snapped back, before sighing and sitting back again. "A lot of scholars think that battle lust stems from our primitive, primal origins, the part of us that stems from the animal kingdom... some have even come to term it as the 'Fight or Flight response'. Its entire nature is to give us that edge to survive in a hostile world... but its price is a lack of control... those who give into it repeatedly... steadily begin to lose themselves to the beast within," he looked up at Kallen now, "And if you want proof of that... you need only look at this Ludus' own lion... who now hungers for your blood."
Cold understanding filled Kallen as she realised who he was talking about, "I understand," she said, after several moments
The Ludus master nodded in response, "Good... apart from that, you did very well for your first fight... a little rough around the edges, but nothing training and practice won't cure." He now looked up at her, "How's your injury?"
"Better, I can move around now without it hurting at least, but the doctor said it'll be a while before I'm combat ready again," Kallen replied
"Alright then... we'll keep you on the back bench for now... I have some exercises for you to enhance your discipline and control that you can be getting on with in the meantime... apart from that, use your free time how you like," the Ludus master stated
Kallen nodded, and then a thought came to mind, "On the subject of free time sir... I was wondering if I might know the address of Crassus' family."
The Ludus master levelled a stare at her, "And why's that?"
Kallen shuffled, her tone now remorseful as she replied, "I want to apologise to them... for what happened... I haven't been sleeping well since the fight... and I don't think I will till I get this off my chest."
The Ludus master sighed, "I figured you'd say that," he said, before pulling out a small slip of paper, "Here, but don't expect them to be welcoming."
"Thank you sir," Kallen replied, taking the paper, before she was dismissed from the room
The port town of Julcester sat just a few miles west of Pendragon, along a wooded coastline that stretched for several miles to both the north and south of the settlement. It was the primary trade port for the capital and as such, conditions were a little better for everyone there than in the cramped and crowded city. And while the military dockyards were located just a little further south, it was usually from Julcester that dignitaries and agents of the crown set off from for an overseas trip. It had been sometime since a royal had departed from the town however, and the large ship of the line that sat in the harbour, dwarfed the small fishing and trade boats around it
Goods were being loaded onto the ship, everything from food, water, medicine and other essentials, to weapons, armour, and most importantly, Gloucester Griffins. The animals were in a word, magnificent, bred in the city of Gloucester to the east in the Arbor Mountains; they were the finest mounts in the Empire's military. The Gloucester breed had pure white wings, while their heads were covered in dark blue feathers, matching their hindquarters, which were covered in a dark, blue tinted fur. Bred for combat and war, their talons could slice a man in half, and were also decent against most forms of infantry and mounted armour. Their hind legs were powerful and bulging with muscle, enabling leaps and kicks that most mounts could only dream of. Their beaks were sharp and finely honed, guided by the sharpest pairs of eyes to ever grace the animal kingdom
Perhaps more importantly, the dozen Griffins being led onto Cornelia's ship, the Indomitable, had all been raised by her since they were hatchlings. Since she'd been a little girl, Cornelia had loved Griffins, and had begged their father for one when she was little. Their father had gone a step further, and given her a whole clutch, telling her that if she could raise and care for them by herself, then she could keep them. Cornelia had of course, set out to prove she could, and now, her Gloucester Griffins were perhaps the most loyal and fierce mounts in the Empire
Each had been gifted to one of her knights, who had now come to be known as the Glaston Knights, one of the most feared and respected fighting forces in the world. When the Emperor of Britannia sent his eldest daughter and her knights to a war front, you knew things were about to go down. Namely, the castles and fortresses of Britannia's enemies
Cornelia had of course kept the eldest and largest of the beasts for herself, and her second in command Andreas Darlton had one of his own, separate from her clutch. Transport across the sea was always difficult with such large animals, especially ones used to flying around mountain peaks, as such, Cornelia's ship had been specially customised for them, to allow them to leave the ship easily without compromising the ship, or their speed, and stretch their wings
As loading was finished, Cornelia observed the entire process from the dock, her knight Guilford ever present by her side. "Taking the birds with you again sister?" came a call from behind her
She turned smiling as Lelouch, Milly, Euphemia and Darlton made their way towards her. "I could hardly leave them behind, they'd probably all escape and follow me across the sea anyway," she joked, giving everyone a good laugh
"Seems a tad unfair," Milly said, "I mean have the Japanese had to deal with Griffins before?"
"No," Cornelia replied, "But that is mainly due to the costs and difficulty involved in transporting them." She now smirked as she turned back to her ship, "Luckily, I've spent my life raising these Griffins, and getting them used to travelling."
"The natives shall not know what hit them," Andreas stated, pride shining in his eyes
"At any rate, we wish you luck sister," Lelouch said
"Indeed," Euphemia agreed
Cornelia turned back to them smiling, "Thank you, and don't worry this errand won't take long once I arrive there, I should be back in time for the winter festival... try not to bring the Empire down around father's ears while I'm gone Lelouch."
Milly and Euphemia giggled as Lelouch gave his sister a look of mock affront, "Sister, I would never do such a thing."
"Uh huh," Cornelia replied, a knowing smile gracing her fine features, even as her purple locks blew in the sea breeze
A member of the Glaston Knights then approached from the ship, bowing to the gathered royals and his two superiors, "My lady, we are ready to depart."
"Very good... Darlton, see to final preparations, I'll be along shortly," Darlton bowed and followed the knight – one of his own adopted sons – to the ship. Cornelia then turned and embraced her little sister Euphemia, "Be good Euphie, and stay safe."
"I will sister," Euphemia replied
They parted, and Cornelia turned to Lelouch, "Stay out of trouble mister," she said, ruffling his hair fondly
Lelouch fended her off, "Yes mom," he replied, before embracing her
Cornelia turned finally to Milly, "Farewell, lady Ashford... remember to keep this one in line," she said, gesturing to Lelouch at the last part
"Oh don't worry, I intend to," Milly replied, cheeky grin plastered on her face
Cornelia then smirked, "When I get back, I expect to see a wedding band on your finger, or at least a set date for the event."
That caused both Lelouch and Milly to turn bright scarlet, while Euphemia began giggling off to the side. With their farewells said, Cornelia and her knight, made their way to her ship, once they'd boarded, the crew began to cast off. Cornelia made her way to the stern, looking over the railing at her siblings below, waving as the ship pulled out of the harbour. They waved back, until it was no longer possible to make out individuals on the ship
A sly grin began to spread across Lelouch's face. The board is now set, Schneizel is scouring the outskirts of the Empire, Cornelia is sailing to a far flung archipelago, and father is too wrapped up in his pet project to care about what happens in the city... time to get to work
Kallen wandered down the street, she was wearing just a plain brown tunic, with a small dagger strapped to her waist – Krem's idea, when she'd heard where Kallen was going – she was grateful for the weight, as she'd already received several unsavoury looks from shifty looking characters loitering in alleys. The obvious weapon and her obvious bearing deterred them though, as she made her way deeper into the Slats, the name for the western poor district. Here was where many of the lower class population lived, it wasn't the worst off of the three major poor districts, but it certainly was in a bad way. Buildings were crumbling, streets were clogged with filth, and the less said about the stench the better
There were a few nice areas here and there, belonging to the middle class citizens in charge of the district, but these were few and far between. Finally, she reached her destination, a decently kept block of flats near the centre of the district. Kallen glanced wearily at the small group of men loitering at the entrance to the ring of homes, whose eyes never left her as she made her way in. They didn't stop her though, so Kallen paid them no mind once she was past them
It didn't take her long to find Crassus' flat, she took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. The muffled sounds of children crying out came through the door, as well as a woman's voice, that became clearer as she approached the door
"Titus, please move, go and look after your brother and sister please," the door then opened, and a woman in her early thirties stood before Kallen, she had light sandy hair, and a kindly face, which scrunched in confusion upon seeing Kallen at the door. "Yes, can I help you?" she asked
"Mrs Crassus... my name is Kallen... I've... come to apologise... for what happened," Kallen got out, falteringly
Mrs Crassus frowned, trying to figure out what Kallen was talking about, and then her eyes widened as understanding dawned. "Titus, take your brother and sister outside to play," she called, all without taking her eyes off Kallen
The little boy named Titus, who looked to be only seven years old, looked back towards his mother, his little brother and sister running around behind him. He looked between his mother and Kallen, brow furrowed. Wow, he already looks like his dad, Kallen thought, noticing the boy's green eyes as he took his younger siblings past them and out into the yard beyond
Mrs Crassus stood to one side and beckoned Kallen in after they left, and closed the door behind her as Kallen entered. Once the door was shut, she led Kallen to a sitting area off to one side of the main room. Behind it was a kitchen, and behind that Kallen could see a few doors, one looked like it led off to a kid's room, the other to a bathroom, which left the closed door as the master bedroom, where Crassus and his wife slept. Another stab of guilt hit Kallen as she realised that Mrs Crassus would now sleep in that room alone
They sat at a table between the kitchen and the sitting area, neither speaking for a time. Finally, Kallen could take the silence no longer. "I'm so sorry... I didn't know he had a family, if I had I would have never," Kallen began, before Mrs Crassus cut across her
"Don't... just don't... don't say it... don't speak about what happened," she said, her eyes distant and misty
Kallen bowed her head, unable to look the woman across from her in the eye, "I didn't come here for forgiveness... I know I'll probably never get it... I just wanted you to know... how sorry I' am."
Mrs Crassus suddenly gave a dry chuckle, "Numerius was exactly the same," she said wistfully, "Whenever he ended up killing an opponent in the arena, if that person had a family, he'd always try to apologise... even if all he ended up getting was scorn." She looked away, wiping her eyes, before looking at Kallen, her soft amber eyes meeting Kallen's blue ones. "So thank you... thank you for not forgetting that... outside of that wretched place... you and every other gladiator has a life... has friends... has family," she said, tears tracking down her face
Kallen blinked, taken aback, "Wait... you're not angry?"
Mrs Crassus shook her head, "No child, I'm not... I had to accept, long ago, that one day... Numerius might depart for the arena and never come back. When I told him how that made me feel... he begged me not to blame the gladiator who might one day take his life... he said that it wasn't their fault... they were simply doing what they'd been trained to do... just as he was doing what he'd been trained to do." She looked away, fingers running around the metal band on her ring finger. "He did so much for me, for our family... all to make up for the fact that we had to accept, that his job might one day kill him."
Kallen had no idea what to say, her entire body was numb, what could she say. She was pulled from her thoughts by Mrs Crassus again, "And it's not like we've been left wanting... we received fair compensation from the Ludus, and Numerius' comrades from his Ludus help out every now and again, some have even promised us a portion of their winnings... so we'll be fine."
Kallen nodded, and then a thought came to mind, "If there's anything I can do... anything at all..."
The older woman now turned to Kallen, smiling, "You really want to make this up, don't you?"
Kallen nodded, "I lost control... I wasn't myself... so if there's any way I can make this up..."
Mrs Crassus gave her a steady stare, before sitting forward, "Numerius once got a piece of advice from another gladiator, and I think he'd want it passed on to you." Kallen looked at her, eyes steady as she held the older woman's gaze. "If you make a mistake, whether it's in the arena, or elsewhere, then learn from it," she said. "Take what you have learned from this fight, and improve... make sure that something like this doesn't happen again... do that... and you'll have my forgiveness."
Kallen stared at her for a moment, and then a happy, watery smile graced her face, "Consider it done."
Mrs Crassus smiled back
Afterwards they talked for a while about how she and Crassus met, about how he courted her before asking her father for her hand in marriage. They talked for a good hour, before Kallen made her farewells. Mrs Crassus showed her out, her kids rushing back to their mother upon sighting Kallen leaving. As Kallen walked away, she vaguely heard Titus speaking, "Who was that mom?"
"Your father's last opponent," Mrs Crassus replied quietly, Kallen heard nothing for several moments after that, before, "Titus no!"
That was all the warning Kallen got, before a small fist thumped into her back, she staggered for a moment, before turning back to see a teary eyed Titus standing behind her, fists clenched, a look of pure hatred on his face. At Kallen's questioning look, the boy began screaming, drawing the attention of everyone in the block, "I hate you... why did you have to kill him... why... why couldn't it have been you who died!"
Silence reigned throughout the courtyard, Kallen saw Mrs Crassus standing just outside her door, a look of pure terror on her face. She notice the men by the entrance had now stood straight, and were looking towards where she and Titus were standing. Knowing how delicately this would have to be handled, Kallen knelt in front of the boy; this had been more like the response she'd been expecting. "I don't blame you... right now, I hate myself a little... so I tell you what... go ahead and hit me... hit me as much as you want... get the anger out of your system... don't let it fester," she said
Titus stared at her, his eyes wide, before they narrowed to rage filled slits, and his fist swung again, and again, and again. Kallen knelt there and took the beating from the seven year old for at least several minutes, before the boy eventually tired, his hits becoming weaker, until he eventually collapsed against Kallen, tears streaming down his face. Kallen let him cry himself out, before taking him by the shoulders to look him in the eye, "Feel better?"
Titus gave a small nod and a sniffle, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, "I know it hurts Titus... and I'm sorry that this happened... more sorry than you'll ever believe." Kallen looked up at the boy's mother, to see some of the fear had gone, but she was still tense, ready to rush forward if needed. "But your dad wouldn't want you to give into grief or anger, now would he?" Titus shook his head, "No, he'd want you to be strong, for your little brother and sister... you've got to protect them now... keep them safe... you look out for them, be the strong big brother they can both look up to, and I know your dad would be proud."
"Really?" Titus asked, through the tears, hopefully
"Really... can you be strong for them Titus?" the boy nodded, and Kallen smiled, before beckoning his mother over. Mrs Crassus rushed forward, and embraced her son, who began sobbing into his mother's shoulder
"It's okay Titus, its okay to cry, I'm right here sweetie, I'm right here," she said
Kallen stood as Mrs Crassus comforted her son, she made eye contact with the older woman, who gave her a small smile, which Kallen returned, before making her way out. She nodded to the men guarding the entrance of the block, who all nodded back, their gazes now far less hostile
Kallen felt worlds better as she began making her way back to the Ludus, it hadn't gone how she was expecting, but it had gone better than she'd feared, and hoped for that matter. She was about halfway back to the Ludus, making her way through a particularly busy street, when someone collided with her
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," said a female voice, as Kallen stumbled to one side
Kallen noticed the finely made dress out the corner of her eye, and knew that this person was at least middle class, if not higher. "No it's my fault, wasn't looking where I was going," Kallen replied, dipping her head to her betters
"Oh no, please there's no need for that, it was my fault really," the voice said again, before another joined it
"You being a klutz again Shirley?" came a male voice
Kallen finally looked up to see three people now standing in front of her. All three were about her age; one was a girl with orange hair, wearing a sky blue dress of fine cloth. Another was a boy with blue hair and white tunic, while the third was a girl with dark green hair and matching dress
"Oh like you can talk, Rivalz, the way you bet, I'm surprised you're not broke already," Shirley shot back
"Please you guys, let's not fight," the second girl said, her so voice quite Kallen wasn't sure the other two heard her
Kallen stared at the three of them, blinking in confusion as they began to bicker, before the orange haired girl realised she was still there. "Oh I'm sorry, where are my manners, I'm Shirley Fenette," she said, bringing a hand to her chest
"Rivalz Cardemonde," the boy added, thumb raised
"And I'm Nina Einstein," the other girl said, hands held demurely in front of her
Kallen blinked again before coming to her senses, "Oh, right, hi, I'm," but Shirley cut her off
"Your Kallen aren't you, the gladiator who fought Crassus last week," she exclaimed, eyes a glow
"Uh, yea, that's me," Kallen replied awkwardly
"Oh my gosh, you've become and overnight sensation, everyone is talking about you," Shirley exclaimed excitedly
"That match was incredible, did you plan out how you were going to win or was it all improvised," Rivalz asked
Before Kallen could respond, Shirley cut across her, "Of course it was improvised you dumb dumb, you think they plan to kill a gladiator in the arena!?"
"I didn't mean it like that, I just want to know if she went in with a plan," Rivalz countered
As they bickered, Nina came up to Kallen, "You're armour was well made, did you make it yourself?"
Kallen blinked again before giving her a smile, "Oh no, we have our own armourer in the Ludus who makes all the equipment we need."
"Really, that's so cool," Rivalz cried
Kallen nodded in agreement, "In answer to your earlier question... no I didn't plan out what to do exactly, my only real goal was to get in close to prevent him from using those javelins... but that plan kinda fell apart pretty quickly... so after that I just improvised."
Shirley looked like she had stars in her eyes, as did Rivalz besides her. Kallen smiled as well, before dipping her head, "It was nice to meet you, and I'm glad you enjoyed the show last week... but I really must be going." Kallen turned to leave, but suddenly found Shirley latched onto her arm
"Wait, you're just going back to the Ludus?" she asked
"Well, yes, I have training and..." Kallen began before Rivalz cut her off
"Don't you get out at all, I mean, I know your gladiator's but you get some free time right?" he asked
"And you know what they say, 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'," Nina stated, smiling
"That's right," Shirley agreed, "So come on, let us show you around, and find something fun to do."
"No really, it's fine... whoa heh!" Kallen exclaimed as Shirley and Rivalz dragged her down the street and towards what looked like a street festival going on
"Come on, live a little, it'll be great," Shirley replied
The rest of Kallen's day was spent wandering the city with the three of them, they started with the everyday street festival, which were full of fun activities. There was a stand with targets that you had to hit with a wooden ball, success earned you a prize of sweet rolls. Kallen, Shirley and Nina had a good laugh at Rivalz's expense as he tried and failed to hit the targets. He then challenged Kallen to have a go, and she scored a direct hit on the central target on the first try, much to Rivalz's chagrin. Another area had been set up with two sets of posts, and the goal was to try and get a leather ball through one set, while defending your own from the enemy team. All four of them faced the current winners of the game, and with Kallen leading them, won the game 3-0
Kallen got herself embarrassed at the mock archery contest, throwing a ball across a dozen foot space was one thing, firing an arrow from a bow down a 50 metre range was quite another. Rivalz performed a victory dance after beating her, to which all three girls proceeded to throw pies at him for, causing yet another bout of hilarity
After they left the street festival, they made their way to a nearby tavern for lunch, Kallen paid for it with her winnings from last week's fight. During the meal they talked about where each of them was from. Shirley was the daughter of a middle class merchant, while Nina's father was a scholar, teaching at the local library. Rivalz was the son of a cobbler, not quite bottom of the heap, not quite middle class either. Kallen of course told them her own story, though she neglected to mention her father's name, her reasoning being that she didn't want her father hurting her new friends in order to keep their silence about it
Shirley had understood instantly, as her father usually dealt with the upper classes, and had shushed the other two up about it
Finally, after a long day, it was time to part ways; they said their goodbyes to one another not far from Pendragon Ludus. "I really had fun today, thank you," Kallen said as they arrived at the street that led to the Ludus
"You're welcome," Shirley replied, smiling kindly
"We should do this again sometime," Rivalz stated excitedly, while Nina just nodded, also smiling
"I'll see what my training schedule is like," Kallen chuckled, before waving goodbye, and heading back to the Ludus. Her new friends waved back, as they made their way home
Despite the fact that today had not gone at all like Kallen had planned, she felt good, much better than when the day had started. The looming spectre of Crassus was gone, and though a part of her still felt guilty, it wasn't nearly as heavy as it had been this morning, and to top it all off, she had three new friends... life she decided, was good
That was until she saw the Ludus master's stern face the moment she walked into the Ludus
"And where exactly have you been all day, young lady?"
Oh brilliant, Kallen groaned internally
And that's a wrap for this chapter, don't go anywhere because the next is right around the corner
Just to get this out the way now... I know people are probably going to bash me for not having Mrs Crassus be angry at Kallen, but I do have my reasons, and that is that Kallen is going to have a lot more to worry about soon, and I didn't want this to weigh her down. I wanted to get it out the way and resolved as quickly as possible
If people are unhappy about this, I do apologise, but I'm not changing it, I have a plan and I'm sticking to it
Apart from that, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a review, as always, constructive criticism is welcome... now for a quick commercial break ; P