Author note: hello there, dearest readers, here's the new chapter for you! I hope you'll enjoy the reading :-)
I want to thank Fansnob for leaving me a review and encouraging me to keep on writing this story. Fansnob, you're the reason why there's a chapter 3
oxoxoxoxoxo
"So, where are you from?", Flaminia asked Ashur, as she dodged his wooden sword. "A small village in Syria. It's a beautiful place, peaceful and quiet and life was not that bad there, all things considered. Not until I was captured and sold into slavery, about five years ago", he answered, sighing as his lips curved downward with a hint of bitterness, "They took me as I was at the market to buy supplies...Well, to get some supplies, truth be told".
She blinked, "You don't strike me as the thieving type. What led you to do it?". He shrugged, "My little brother, Nasir, was ill and I did not have enough coin to buy both food and medicines. I wonder what happened to him, he was little more than a child and he was so naive and innocent...", he added, a flash of pain passing in his dark eyes. "I'm sure your parents took good care of him".
"Our parents are long dead. We were on our own, I was all the family he had left and I failed him". "It was not your fault!", she said hotly, "Those bastards ripped you from your home, blame should fall entirely on their heads, not on yours!". He was taken aback by her outburst, but then smiled, "Gratitude for kind words. What about you? How did you end up in Capua?".
"I was born here, in dominus' house, since my mother lives there. And I have no siblings, though Kerovas is like brother to me". "Kerovas?". "The dark-skinned man who came to ludus with me". "Ah, the walking mountain", he joked and she laughed.
"Well, that's quite fitting description. He too was born in dominus' house, four years before me. I am grateful to Mars for his presence: without him, I would not be what I am today. And he is also the one who taught me how to fight", she added, thrusting forward with her sword. "So he is the one to blame for the beating I'm taking?", Ashur grinned, quickly rising his shield to parry the blow, "I'll keep it in mind".
The young woman chuckled and stepped back as he lunged at her, "He has shown attitude for fighting since he was a child, so, when I decided to learn the art of combat, I went to him. At first he didn't want anything to do with it, claiming it was not good idea, but I pleaded and begged and made puppy eyes at him until he gave in", she admitted, "He has never been able to deny me anything. So, you were captured five years ago, you said?". "Well, more or less five years, yes".
"But you became recruit only this year", she noted, "Where did you spend the other four?". "I worked as slave in a corn field. It was not nice place: we only got one meal a day and slept outdoors, be it summer or winter, under the Sun and in the snow. In the end, I could not stand such life anymore and tried to flee. That is why I was once again sold and ended up here as recruit", he shivered at the memory of the freezing cold nights and shook his head, "I much prefer living in ludus, truth be told: life is not easy here either, but at least I have roof on my head, warm place to sleep and three meals a day".
They kept on exchanging blows and chatting friendly for the best part of the morning, getting to know each other better and Flaminia was quite disappointed, when doctore's brisk voice cut through the damp air. "Stop! Eat", he simply said and everyone put their weapons back on the rack and gratefully slipped inside the fresh space which served as a refectory.
It was closed only on three sides, the fourth opening directly on the training yard, but it had at least a roof to keep out the glaring rays of the Sun. All the men took up a bowl and she did the same and moved to get in line, though her stomach churned at the thought of having lunch while still sweaty and dirty.
At home, she would have a fresh bath before sitting down for the meal, but she was not home now, she reminded herself and for a fleeting moment, she regretted her decision. But then she felt a gentle hand on her arm holding her back and when, looking up, she met Ashur's eyes, her regret vanished in an instant.
"Gladiators eat first", he told her, "Those without the Mark are last in line and eat from a different pot". "Oh, I didn't know", she shot a glance at the table and noticed a smaller pot, "Is that the one we will eat from?".
"Yes, that's it. Come", he guided her to the secondary line and let her go before himself, "Women first", he said with a smile and her heart skipped a beat. "Gratitude", she said, a shy grin curving her lips: she had never seen a smile so beautiful, so kind and warm and cheerful and the way his eyes shone when he smiled was…
A loud laugh snapped her attention back to her surroundings and she saw Rhaskos, one of the senior gladiators, a bulky man with rough features, looking at her. "I have something better for you to put in mouth than food, whore!", he shouted at her, causing her to clench her fists and curl her upper lip like a snarling dog.
"Try it, shit-eater", she growled, "And I will cut off cock with my teeth…If I can find it". His eyebrows shot up at her reply and he made to walk to her, but Auctus quickly grabbed him by the arm and nodded in Barca's direction, as if to say 'don't make his same mistake'.
Rhaskos looked first at the Beast of Carthage, still holding his aching crotch protectively, then at the young woman and in the end, he decided to let it drop with a snort. "Wise choice", she sneered, dripping smugness. Behind her, Ashur chuckled, "Seems like they are afraid of you", he murmured in her ear, amused.
She felt a warm tingle running down her spine at his closeness and her core burned hotter than molten lava, "No matter how big and strong a man is, nobody can brush off a punch to cock. Even fa-dominus' satelles, who is former gladiator and quite a big man, went down crying like an infant when he accidentally hit his crotch while descending biga. It was amusing…Well, not for him, but for me it was", she added with an impish grin. "And you made good use of his misfortune".
"Everywhere around us there is useful knowledge to be gained. One only needs to search for it". He blinked, surprised, "Where did you hear that?". "It's just stray thought. Why? Is it stupid?", she asked, suddenly worried. "Quite the contrary, they're wise words". "Oh. Pleasure to hear it", she took up the pot and helped herself of a small share of the thick porridge, barely suppressing a grimace of disgust at the sight, then quickly passed the pot to him, "It's all yours".
"It's not that bad". "I pray to Mars you're right", she took a cautious sniff of the soup…And slammed her bowl on the ground with a furious roar, "Who is fucking son of bitch who pissed in pot?", she yelled, eyes flashing with undiluted rage. Auctus smirked, "You deserved it, whore!".
Doctore frowned and shot a stern look at the gladiator, but didn't even pretend to reprimand him, merely rolling his eyes and muttering something under his breath. "You must have shit in your skull instead of brain, then, if you can't tell the difference between pot and latrine", Flaminia said, "Or was all the brain sucked out from cock by Barca?".
This time, Ulpius did intervene, but not as she had expected him to: instead of giving a solid dressing down to Auctus, he grabbed her roughly by the arm and forced her to follow him, "You're causing too much trouble, woman", he said, leading her out of the ludus and up the stairs to the house, "I don't give shit about what dominus said, you're not staying in ludus one minute longer!".
"It's not for you to decide", she snapped, but he ignored her and gestured to Diona, one of the house slaves. "I want to have words with dominus". In a moment, Batiatus was before them, Kerovas in tow and both of them tensed as they saw the way doctore was holding Flaminia. "Let her fucking go!", the dominus ordered.
Ulpius complied, "Dominus, this woman is causing trouble in ludus: she punched Barca in the groin and keeps on provoking the gladiators with her fucking arrogance!". The Roman woman snorted, "They started it! Barca had it coming and as for Auctus, he pissed in the food! Was I supposed to swallow piss without complaints?". "You are woman, you are supposed to swallow a whole cock without complaints".
"ENOUGH!", Batiatus shouted, "Doctore, if you ever dare to speak to her like that again, I will have you castrated and crucified, is that clear?". Doctore's eyes widened in shock, but he nodded all the same, "Dominus". "Flaminia, I think you have spent enough time in ludus. Go and have a bath. Diona, help her". Diona nodded, "Dominus", she gently took Flaminia's hand in hers and they left together.
As soon as the men were alone, Kerovas turned to Batiatus, "Dominus, may I have words with doctore now?". "Not yet, I have an announcement to make first: from this moment on, Ulpius, you are not doctore anymore and are assigned to cleaning latrines. Oenomaus is to assume mantle in your stead. I will have Melitta bring him good news", the master smirked evilly and looked at Kerovas, "Now you can have words with him. Try not to leave too much blood on the floor".
The young slave nodded and grinned, a scary, cruel and sadistic grin, "Gratitude, dominus".