The following morning, the competition arranged by Titus began, with the first match seeing Ashur against Barca. The younger gladiator was eager to give the older man a hard beating, because, even if they were now brothers by the Mark, he had not yet forgotten the humiliations inflicted on him and his friends back when they were still recruits.
The Beast of Carthage was equipped as always with a spear and a small shield, Ashur with a gladius and a parma. Barca made a low sweeping thrust that was meant to topple his opponent over, but the Syrian was quick to jump and step back, then sprung forward as if to strike at the other's belly, but at the last second he sidestepped and slashed at Barca's unprotected side, the wooden tip of the sword leaving behind a long red mark.
Barca swore, but before he could retaliate, Ashur moved behind him and slammed the shield against his back, causing him to stumble forward a couple of steps. "What's wrong, Barca? Getting soft?", the younger gladiator chuckled, dark eyes twinkling with mirth and pride. "You fucking cunt!", the Beast of Carthage snarled, launching a relentless attack, but much to his frustration, Ashur was too quick and kept on parrying or dodging his blows, "Stop dancing around and fight!".
"If you insist", the Syrian said with a smirk, then he made a feint to the left and when he found his opening, he struck to the right with all of his strength, being careful to use the flat side of the sword, then he elbowed Barca in the middle and slammed the shield into his face, hooking the other's knee with his foot and twirling on his axis to topple him over.
Barca fell to the ground and Ashur didn't waste any time in kneeling at his side and placing the tip of his sword on the other's throat. "I would stay down if I were you, brother", he said, half-mocking and half-friendly.
Titus couldn't believe his eyes, but a small, very small smile curved his lips, "You did well, Ashur", he addressed the Syrian, "You are victor. Next match!". Ashur bowed his head and helped his fellow gladiator up, "Seems like I will be spared for now". The Beast of Carthage nodded and clapped him on the back, "You learned well, brother", he replied with a sincere smile and that was the best praise the younger man had ever received from him.
Ashur went back to his place in the circle and watched with a mixture of worry and pride as Indus fought against Rhaskos: worry because the Macedon was small and willowy in stark contrast to the Egyptian's bulky frame, pride because despite the apparent disadvantage, Indus managed to win the match without taking too much of a beating.
From the balcony, Titus sealed the Macedon's victory and called for the next match, while the young gladiator let out a long sigh of relief as he took his place in the circle, at Ashur's left. "Your victory warmed heart, brother", the Syrian complimented him with a smile and he smiled back. "Gratitude, brother. I had feared to end up in mines, but I suppose we are safe for now".
"Our domina will never allow for us to be sent to mines", Ashur assured him, a spark of warmth igniting in his chest as he thought of Flaminia, of her kisses, the scent of her soft skin, her smile... "Why isn't she here then?", Indus asked, frowning, "Why does she allow for us to take part to competition?".
"I don't know, but…", the Syrian trailed off as he looked up at the balcony and noticed his beloved Roman woman standing there: apparently, she was having a heated argument with Titus, as she gesticulated angrily and her lovely face was twisted in a furious snarl. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but since she repeatedly gestured towards the ludus, he guessed it was about himself and Indus.
The old lanista shook his head and moved inside the house, Flaminia stalking him like a shadow and still her voice drifted to the sands, her words unintelligible but her tone heavy with rage. Ashur couldn't help grinning, "I have feeling that soon enough we won't have to worry about mines anymore, brother", he commented.
Meanwhile, in the house, Flaminia was beyond herself, "I paid for them both and I demand for them to be spared competition!", she growled, once more gesturing towards the ludus. "They bear the Mark of House of Batiatus, not of House of Lutatius!", Titus shot back, "They are my property and…". "The fuck they are!", she cut him off, "Quintus and I signed fucking contract and had it sealed by magistrate himself, so Ashur and Indus are my fucking property! You cannot send them to mines unless I say so!".
The old man's eyes widened in shock, "When did you and my son sign contract?". "Before you came to Capua", she lied. "I knew nothing of it", he said, his tone heavy with suspicion. "Well, now you know", she replied, "Have them out of competition now, or expect serious retribution for using my property without authorization".
Titus pressed his lips in a thin line, it was clear he hated having to take orders from someone so much younger than him, yet she was the wife of a senator now, so he had little choice but to comply, "Fine", he moved back to the balcony and leaned over the railings, "Doctore! Ashur and Indus are out of competition, as requested by their domina. They will not be send to mines", he spat. Oenomaus blinked, surprised, but nodded, "Yes, dominus", he said, then made his whip crack on the sand, "Ashur, Indus, you heard dominus! Go back to your cell!".
The Syrian's grin widened, "What did I tell you?", he whispered to the Macedon as they left the courtyard, "Our domina cares for us". "Bless the Gods", Indus replied with a huge smile, "And bless her too. I wish I could meet her and express gratitude directly. I am certain she is as beautiful as she is kind", he added. "She is, brother, more than you can imagine".
"You saw her?", he asked, surprised, "When?". Ashur bit his lower lip, realizing he'd said too much, "She…She was at celebrations. I recognized her because of earrings she wore", he lied. "Why didn't you tell me?". His lips curved in a lopsided smirk, "I was not given time to do so: if you recall, I had been…Requested…By guest that night".
The Macedon frowned, then nodded, "Oh, right. She must have kept you busy, by the way: you only came back after celebrations were over!". "I was quite busy, yes", Ashur's eyes took on a dreamy look as he remembered those wonderful moments he had shared with his beloved, "I gave her all I had", he said and nearly started at Indus' laugh. "Lucky you! Yet, I wonder what Flaminia would say if she knew of it".
"She knows I'm slave. I have generous and kind-hearted domina, but I am still slave". "And so is she", the Macedon commented, sobering, "I worry about her, you know. What if her domina also gives orgies and asks her to…?". "She won't".
"How can you be so sure?". "Because…Kerovas told me", Ashur lied, "Our domina is not that kind of woman. She even bought my brother, my blood brother, to keep him safe and give him a home! She cares for her slaves", and for me, he added in his mind, though of course he could not say it out loud.
oxoxoxoxoxo
Her gladiators were safe now, but Flaminia was not yet satisfied, as she knew full well that Titus would not have them fight at the opening games of the new arena. Also, he would not go back on his demand that Quintus dissolve his marriage, no matter how much his son could try to reason with him. In Flaminia's opinion, there was only one way left to solve all of their problems for good.
That was why she was currently in the seediest part of Capua, where only criminals and whores treaded, her scarf wrapped around her head to hide her face, as she needed something that could not be found in the 'regular' shops, "So, you have it?", she asked the smuggler, her tone cold and hard.
The man, a flabby and disgustingly dirty piece of work with rotten teeth, nodded, "Aye, I got just what you need, domina! Couple drops of this and it's farewell!", he assured her, showing her a small sealed vial. "Good. How much?". "One hundred denarii", he replied with a wide lewd grin, "But I could lower price to fifty denarii, if you let me take good look at those legs of yours", he added.
She narrowed her eyes at him, "Fine, a quick look and deal is sealed", she agreed, her right hand grabbing the hem of her newly bought scarlet dress and slipping it up to her knees. "A bit more, domina", he drooled and she just nodded. "As you wish", she said, the soft fabric sliding a little higher as her left hand whipped forward to slash the merchant's throat with a small razor she'd kept hidden in her palm until then.
While her victim fell to the ground chocking on his own blood, she calmly cleaned the blade on her dress (that was why she had chosen a red one instead of dressing in white as she always did), picked up the vial and slipped the small razor into her purse. Then she walked back to the main road humming a merry tune under her breath and smiling cheerfully behind her scarf: all was going well.