Spartacus: Blood and Sand
'The Harpy of Corinth'
Chapter 3- 'Cerberus'
My time had finally come, I rested in the cells of the arena only to be awoken by the roar of the crowds. Their cheers begged for blood. Thoughts circled through my mind as I grasped the iron bars of my cell. The domina would not let me be a servant in her chambers. I overheard her saying I had too much muscle, and my tits and ass were too big. The words of others made it more apparent it seems, "It is your time to fight, Horse's Ass," said Ashur the Syrian with a young slave boy carrying weapons and armor,
"I find humor in that you seem quite drawn to it," I smirked as Pietros was putting on my armor for the match. Even I managed to make the young slave boy smile. My arms were clad in plate armor with shoulder guards. I moved my arms, and felt the armor did restrict some of my movements, but gave just enough to handle my swords. My shins were strapped with iron greaves, and I was handed my crested helmet and my swords for battle. I spun the swords in my hands to get a firm grip, "no chest armor?"
"I'm sure your tits can deflect a sword, you will learn that it is best to receive a blow rather than base and avoid it," Ashur said as words of wisdom, "besides, you are not the kind that I would find...fetching," I strapped on my helmet, and pulled down the visor which gave me twelve holes in each of the upper corners to see. I could feel my breath against my face. This was my time to fight, it was my time to feed a great beast made of stone and sand. Though my vision is limited, I could see concern in Pietros' eyes.
The boy fitted my arms with Manica made of iron plates, and padded on the inside with cotton and leather. My arms felt heavy with the armor, but I could still move my arms efficiently with blades in hand. My helmet's faceguard covered my mouth as well so my opponent cannot read my facial expressions. The ground shook beneath my feet. I could hear the cries and cheers of the people. This beast feeds on the desires of the people. It seems the people desire blood, making them no different from this very beast.
"Please...be safe," He said, I touched him on the shoulder and went up to the gate. To these people, to this mob, I am their entertainment. I am still a mere slave though. Here I stand on a new battlefield. This is the only glory worth achieving now in the arena. I lost all of my worldly possessions. I have nothing left to lose now. My life is in the hands of the dominus. I have survived the training. I have tasted the grit in my teeth in defeat. From defeat, one can learn what it takes to taste the sweet nectar of victory.
As I entered the sands, I looked up to see that the host of these games was my dominus, Batiatus, "People of Capua, I present to you the newest additions to the games, an Amazon that can best my best gladiators, The Harpy of Corinth, Kadri!" He said introducing me to the roar of the crowd. The woman next to me looked like a Hibernian, and armed and armored as a hoplomachus. I saw Batiatus look down at me, and nod with a shit-eating grin. It will be the blood I spill, and every victory I gain will give him coin.
Batiatus paid forty-five denarii for my purchase in the slave market. It is my duty to pay him back in blood and skill with my blades. I turned an eye at my opponent. She wore a helmet much like the type worn by my fallen brethren in Corinth. Her helmet had a pair of horns with leather tassels on the ends. She wore iron Manica on her arm just like me. In one hand she wielded spear, and in the other a shield. At her belt was a xiphos. I looked away, and back up at Batiatus pointing one of my swords to him.
From the words of Marcus Silonius, I gathered that my opponent's name is Sedna, "WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE, SALUTE YOU!" We both said in unison as is the custom of gladiators. I crossed my swords, and bowed to Sedna out of respect. I readied my swords for battle as she readied her spear and shield. The fight began as Batiatus said begin. Sedna attacked with her spear, and I crossed my swords to catch it, and parry it away to get inside her guard. Sedna is indeed skilled as my swords met her shield.
Sedna had long red hair, curly and rushing with her movements like fire. Her green eyes looked like cut emeralds. Her skin pale and speckled like a leopard. As is the will of the mob and the hunger of the beast, I had to kill her or she will kill me. I could feel my hot breath against my face. I gruffed and barked as I swung my swords at her finding an opening, and an opportunity to strike. I struck her in the face of her helmet with the pommel of my sword, but she evaded my slash. Sedna is indeed very skilled.
"Your head is mine, bitch!" Sedna barked as I dodged her coming spear which drew blood from my torso as I was late the trap her spear, but I got inside her guard and elbowed her in the face. I gruffed and breathed behind my visor, and feeling the weight of the armor given to me. I kept my footwork solid, but fluid as my father taught me in the past. I had to keep moving. I was soon to realize why my helmet had the wide brim as it deflected a spear thrust. I saw an opening, and slashed at her stomach.
"Gut the little cunt!" I heard Barca yell from the cells as he was watching the fight. With the opening in her guard, I saw a chance to go on the offensive and took it. I struck her helmet throw her off balance, and got inside her guard to hit her in face with the pommel of one of my swords. I knew this one was not going to go down with ease. My attack relieved her of her shield. So now it was me against her spear. I still had a bleeding wound at my torso from that spear. She attacked again, and I dodged it again.
I attacked with a downward slash with both my swords, she evaded them easily until I countered with a slash across her belly, and an upward attack which removed her helmet, and revealed her face to me. This woman, this Sedna, is very beautiful. I paused for a moment, and in that moment she attacked. I trapped the spear, and elbowed her in the face to knock her on her back. She rolled on her stomach to evade my sword, and picked up her spear, but I was the faster one and placed my swords in flesh.
This time, I thrusted my swords into her body, one into the shoulder and the other into the stomach, leaving my swords in her body. I looked to the crowds and my dominus Batiatus. The crowd chanted for her death. Her eyes were ready for death. Sedna fought well, and I revealed myself to her. Batiatus gave Sedna a thumbs down. I nodded to Batiatus' command. Sedna had to die, "I will make this quick," I said to my opponent. I pulled my swords out, and lopped off her head with a single slash from my swords.
The crowds chanted my name as Sedna's lifeless body fell to the sands. I stuck a sword into the sand, and presented the People of Capua with Sedna's severed head. I yelled my loudest battlecry to the roaring crowds, and raised one of my swords to the sky. I felt a rush I had never felt before in many years. Although I am still a slave, the sands of the arena seems to be the only place I can find glory though I am still bound in chains. The only destiny I have here is death, and I do not know when my time will come.
I was chained to a wall with a few torches to light the room with a group of men, one of them being Batiatus. As I saw the red hot branding iron in Batiatus's hand, I struggled to free myself. For I had no idea what these gathered men were going to do with me. He pushed the brand into my arm above the wrist. It hurt like no other pain I had ever felt, but I did my best to conceal my tears. My father taught me that pain is weakness leaving the body. Where my weakness leaves, my strength will grow.
"Well then, a sister...among the brotherhood...I bid you welcome, Kadri," He said as his final words before he left the chamber, but he also had his say to the other men in the room, "as for you cunts, if any of you try to stick a cock in her I will have you all parted from your cocks and crucified," It's strange to see a man whose business is in death to possess some morals to compliment his forked tongue. My eyes watered with the tears I could not hold back, I would not back because warriors do not cry in pain.