Spartacus: Blood and Sand
'The Harpy of Corinth'
Chapter 5- Making Friends
From sunrise to sunset, I train among the men of the ludus. Months have passed since I started calling these walls home, and still the clouds do not foretell the coming of rain. I now bare the mark of the House of Batiatus. I spend these hours training at the palus with my wooden swords or among the other men to the sting of Oenamous's whip. I eat and train with these men. I befriended one, a Thracian they call 'Spartacus'. From the look in his eye, my guess is he is of the Maedi by blood. A good man he is.
"You fight well, Kadri," said Spartacus, I gave him a single nod in gratitude while Crixus made a grunt of annoyance like a wild boar. I tore off a piece of bread for the thick stew which resembled vomit with beans, lentils, and vegetables, "there are some that have placed coin in that you would meet your death as you train among us, I am not one of them," I lightly smiled to his kind words. Dominus likens me to an Amazon, a woman warrior. I dream of fighting alongside Queen Penthesilea on the sands of Troy.
After his victory against Theokoles the Shadow of Death, Spartacus became the reigning champion of Capua, the bringer of rain. He is truly an inspiration to the men. When I fight in the arena, there is some beauty to the beast. With the rare occasions that I do get to fight on the sands, I receive a small amount of coin for my victories. My victories are few though. Soon when enough warriors have fallen to my blades, perhaps I will win my freedom. For that is the greatest desire of all gladiators, freedom.
Yet heroes in the tales of old cannot be made into flesh, but heroes can be made on the sands. As time passes, it seems I am making just as many friends as enemies. As I am called on to fight when the Dominus sees fit, my victories increase. I looked up at the moon when Mira came by my cell, "Apologies, I do not mean to disturb you, but I come baring a token of good will from the Domina," said Mira, presenting to me what looked like a piece of honey cake. I took the offer, and gave the servant a single nod.
"Gratitude," I replied collectedly, she nodded and went back to her duties. I am not one for conversation. I speak with words made of wood and steel. Batiatus makes me bathe with the other girls at this ludus in the evening. When I returned to my cell, the piece of honey cake was still there. I was about to partake in it when a visitor came in my cell from a small hole in the corner. Barca and Pietros tend to the doves. It seemed the gods have sent me a friend that is not in the likeness of a man, but of a rat.
"I suppose you have a greater need to fill your belly," I said quietly to the rat looking up at me with a twitching nose, sniffing and eying the cake. I chuckled, and gave a morsel to the hungry rat. The rat ate like it was his only meal of the day. It gladdens me that I am bringing him happiness. When the cake was all but gone, the rat remained in my cell. As I rested on the cot, the very rat rested beside me. Sometimes even the greatest of bonds come from the simplest of creatures, "I shall call you...Theseus,"
From then on from morning until evening, I fed him twice a day with morsels of food ranging from bread to cheese. I have been training for days with the Thracian named Spartacus. His skill with a sword is as insightful as his words of wisdom, "Attack boldly to hasten victory," He instructed, sweeping me off my feet with his sword, but I landed on my free hand, and flipped back on my feet, "good...keep your focus on evading and attacking at once, keep your mind absent the crowd and focus on your opponent,"
At the same time, I grabbed my swords and was ready for another round with him. I closed my eyes and envisioned the fight in my mind. I have to utilize both my skill with my swords and strength as well as my flexibility and acrobatics, "Again," Spartacus ordered collectedly, and I opened my eyes at the very time he spoke. He flexed his muscular shoulders, and I attacked. Spartacus was blocking my every strike. I made my move when the Thracian was about to kick me, and evaded with a back handspring.
The fight shifted as Spartacus was putting me on the defensive. With his every strike, I looked for an opening, but there are few when it comes to gladiators like Spartacus. When I found one, I struck with a kick in the air like an upward slash of a sword to his chin to knock him on his back, and came down on him with my wooden blades crossed at his neck, "Barca speaks well of your skill with blades, Kadri, I see now that his words are not false," He complimented, until I felt the sting of Doctore's whip on my back.
"That is enough from you, Harpy!" Oenamaus barked with a second sting on my back from his whip, "I will not have you doubting the cocks of the best this ludus has to offer, continue training on the palus!" I got off of straddling Spartacus's waist, and gave him a hand up despite the sting of Doctore's whip which I have grown used to in these past months. I held his hand firmly like a friend would to another, and patted him on his dust-covered shoulder. I did as instructed. The salt of my sweat stung my fresh wounds.
I brought Theseus to supper where it caught Barca's eye, "Well, I was beginning to doubt whether you can make friends in this ludus, it seems they come both great and small," Barca laughed giving Theseus a pet on the head with his finger. Rats have no taste for the flesh of birds. Theseus is very good of heart like a dog in a way, "I caught sight of your training, Sister Kadri, take these words to mind, your small victories here will give way to greater ones on the sands of the arena," I nodded to his wise words.
"Gratitude, brother, I shall take your words to mind," I replied, and he gave Theseus a small piece of meat. As I ate, I pondered when I was to fight again on the sands. I have heard talk among the men that other Ludii have started training women to fight in the arena. I am the only gladiatrix in the House of Batiatus. I rested that night and fed Theseus, I received a visitor at my cell, it was Naevia, a Phoenician slave girl. She is the girl that Crixus fancies. I approached the girl, and grasped the bars of my cell.
"Apologies, Kadri, but the Dominus has asked for you," said Naevia, I nodded to her words, and I was escorted by her and two guards to Batiatus's chamber. At his side was Oenamaus. My ankles and wrists were shackled and chained. His whip is at my back in the day, but I hold no ill thoughts to him. Oenamaus is the Doctore of this ludus. He does what he must in order to turn men into titans. Batiatus gestured for Melitta to leave. He looked up at me, and seemed annoyed either at me or the papers before him.
"Kadri, your being in the arena has caused other ludii to start purchasing women to fight in the arena, yet those of your type are few and far between," he explained, "it has come to my attention that Good Silonius is training his own cunts for the arena, that should be of no pressing matter to you since he is placing mind toward his cock, Keep your strength up, Harpy, there will be more chances for you prove yourself on the sands of the arena, and bring glory to this house," he gestured for me to make my leave.
"I have seen you fight on the sands, Good Kadri," said Naevia, seeing that she is seeing to the needs of the Domina as I train with the others. She led me back to my cell where a guard on duty locked the door, "I will not place hope that your reputation will not kill you, you are destined to be an inspiration for other women to take to the sands," I thought about Naevia's words, and the words of Batiatus as I was petting a weary Theseus and helping him to sleep. Perhaps I may have more fights on the sands.