The four men stood against the wall. Roman soldiers stood in bunched
huddles on either side, all turning now and then to glance at the
longhaired man with the sword. One of the guards had been too
presumptuous, and had tried taking the sword from him by force. Now his
decapitated body lay on cart, his head thrown on top of it and ready to be
taken away.
After seeing that example, the guards made sure they kept their distance. The gladiators watching also shied away, with the exception of a group of very large men wearing steel armor. They were a different breed of gladiator, of this Kenshin was certain. These men were from the north, most likely Germania. They were slow and bulky, but incredibly strong…and with the armor on, it might be quite a chore to defeat them.
But he would. He had to. Kenshin looked over at the man who had taken him to the future. Lance was a tall man, and muscular too. The battousia could tell that the man wanted to free the one he loved. Kenshin could see the determination in his eyes, and yet he also saw pain. Whatever love the professor had for this woman, it was strong.
Kenshin leaned walked slowly past Nick to stand next to Lance.
"How long have you been with her?" Kenshin asked.
The professor was startled from his thoughts when Kenshin spoke. He smiled at the boy.
"I've known her for almost eight years," Lance told him. "We were in love for nearly two, and I just asked her to marry me a few months ago."
"If I were not here," Kenshin said, "would you still have fought for her?"
"I'd die for her," Lance said. "I'd die a thousand deaths if it would bring her a minute of happiness."
The young warrior stood silently for a moment. This man was sincere in his words. Kenshin had long been taught by the principles of Hiten Mitsurugi, which requires the master of it to sense the emotions of the one they were fighting. Kenshin could feel the emotions of the man next to him. It was almost deeper to him than the love he had for Tomoe.
Nick, impatient and constantly realizing their situation brought the two men back to reality.
"What are they going to do now?" he asked them.
"Well," Lance replied. "They'll probably throw twice as many gladiators after us this time, and I'm sure the emperor has devised some way of laying a trap for Kenshin."
"So what do we do?" Nick asked.
All Lance could do was look at Kenshin. The boy was more skilled than all the gladiators put together, but Lance knew there was no way of defending against a mob of that size. He honestly didn't know what to do, or what to think. To his relief, Kenshin spoke up.
"Numbers are never the problem," Kenshin said. "But this time you probably won't get a chance to watch from the sidelines. This time you'll have to fend for yourselves until I can get to you."
"But we can't use a sword," Mark commented.
The tall and somewhat lanky graduate student was not much for confrontations, nor did he want anything to do with such a bloody massacre as he saw before. Still, he'd do anything to stay alive. Whatever this kid had planned, he would have to follow it.
"Pick them up anyway," said Kenshin. "Use their size to your advantage. When they swing their weapon, dodge it and take a swipe at their feet or ankles. If you look at the gladiators suiting up, you can see that their feet are relatively unprotected."
"And if they can't walk," said Lance, "then they can't chase us."
"Exactly," noted Kenshin. "Just make sure you can move quick enough to make the strike, otherwise you'll probably be killed from the gladiator's second blow."
Nick swallowed hard.
Standing on his balcony, Emperor Herodius saw the eager faces of the crowd. They wanted more bloodshed. It always amazed him how much his people loved violence, and how violence could control them. Herodius would use this to keep his grip of power over them. As long as they were preoccupied with this carnage, then he could raise the taxes, putting more money in his pocket.
But if his gladiators were overthrown, it would be a reflection on him. The people would realize that he was not the strongest leader, and possibly go against him in the future. To ensure his authority, he would kill these four spies. He would defeat them.
Conway had moved twenty feet closer to the balcony. Through the electronic voice of the translator lodged in his ear canal, he could hear the words of the crowed around him. None of it was what he had wanted to here. They were talking about how the emperor never liked losing a contest, and that the second round was always more dangerous.
If things got out of hand, he'd have to make a move for the girls earlier than planned. He didn't want to though. He wanted to get everyone out together. The marines sent to protect them had all been slaughtered, but at least there was still a chance to get the team back alive.
On the balcony, Lisa was thinking the same thing. With the aid of the boy who fought earlier, her fiancée and her friends could make it through the tournament, and possibly free her and Jackie. Then they could all go home and try to forget this nightmare.
Jackie, on the other hand, found herself petrified for Nick. She had never admitted to anyone, even to herself, than she had feelings for him; but seeing him in the same arena as those gladiators nearly tore her heart to pieces. Even though the new guy was powerful, she didn't want Nick out there at all. She just wanted him next to her, back in their time.
In the darkness of the gladiator room, Kenshin kept surveying the other gladiators. For the most part, they were all much weaker than the Germanian thugs. If he could get the other men past the second round, there wouldn't be enough gladiators left to be any challenge for him.
Lance, however, found himself in a stare down with General Marcus, the tall soldier wearing shiny armor. Even in this dim lighting, it gleamed back at him. What really made Lance uncomfortable was the strange grin on the general's face. Whatever plan the emperor has devised must be something big.
Another Roman soldier rushed down a hidden stairwell, giving a message to the general through a barred window on a dark, iron door. The general listened as the soldier finished the message, and then smiled. He turned his gaze once again back to the four men on the other side of the room. To Kenshin, the general's evil grin said it all.
"It's time," the battousai said.
After seeing that example, the guards made sure they kept their distance. The gladiators watching also shied away, with the exception of a group of very large men wearing steel armor. They were a different breed of gladiator, of this Kenshin was certain. These men were from the north, most likely Germania. They were slow and bulky, but incredibly strong…and with the armor on, it might be quite a chore to defeat them.
But he would. He had to. Kenshin looked over at the man who had taken him to the future. Lance was a tall man, and muscular too. The battousia could tell that the man wanted to free the one he loved. Kenshin could see the determination in his eyes, and yet he also saw pain. Whatever love the professor had for this woman, it was strong.
Kenshin leaned walked slowly past Nick to stand next to Lance.
"How long have you been with her?" Kenshin asked.
The professor was startled from his thoughts when Kenshin spoke. He smiled at the boy.
"I've known her for almost eight years," Lance told him. "We were in love for nearly two, and I just asked her to marry me a few months ago."
"If I were not here," Kenshin said, "would you still have fought for her?"
"I'd die for her," Lance said. "I'd die a thousand deaths if it would bring her a minute of happiness."
The young warrior stood silently for a moment. This man was sincere in his words. Kenshin had long been taught by the principles of Hiten Mitsurugi, which requires the master of it to sense the emotions of the one they were fighting. Kenshin could feel the emotions of the man next to him. It was almost deeper to him than the love he had for Tomoe.
Nick, impatient and constantly realizing their situation brought the two men back to reality.
"What are they going to do now?" he asked them.
"Well," Lance replied. "They'll probably throw twice as many gladiators after us this time, and I'm sure the emperor has devised some way of laying a trap for Kenshin."
"So what do we do?" Nick asked.
All Lance could do was look at Kenshin. The boy was more skilled than all the gladiators put together, but Lance knew there was no way of defending against a mob of that size. He honestly didn't know what to do, or what to think. To his relief, Kenshin spoke up.
"Numbers are never the problem," Kenshin said. "But this time you probably won't get a chance to watch from the sidelines. This time you'll have to fend for yourselves until I can get to you."
"But we can't use a sword," Mark commented.
The tall and somewhat lanky graduate student was not much for confrontations, nor did he want anything to do with such a bloody massacre as he saw before. Still, he'd do anything to stay alive. Whatever this kid had planned, he would have to follow it.
"Pick them up anyway," said Kenshin. "Use their size to your advantage. When they swing their weapon, dodge it and take a swipe at their feet or ankles. If you look at the gladiators suiting up, you can see that their feet are relatively unprotected."
"And if they can't walk," said Lance, "then they can't chase us."
"Exactly," noted Kenshin. "Just make sure you can move quick enough to make the strike, otherwise you'll probably be killed from the gladiator's second blow."
Nick swallowed hard.
Standing on his balcony, Emperor Herodius saw the eager faces of the crowd. They wanted more bloodshed. It always amazed him how much his people loved violence, and how violence could control them. Herodius would use this to keep his grip of power over them. As long as they were preoccupied with this carnage, then he could raise the taxes, putting more money in his pocket.
But if his gladiators were overthrown, it would be a reflection on him. The people would realize that he was not the strongest leader, and possibly go against him in the future. To ensure his authority, he would kill these four spies. He would defeat them.
Conway had moved twenty feet closer to the balcony. Through the electronic voice of the translator lodged in his ear canal, he could hear the words of the crowed around him. None of it was what he had wanted to here. They were talking about how the emperor never liked losing a contest, and that the second round was always more dangerous.
If things got out of hand, he'd have to make a move for the girls earlier than planned. He didn't want to though. He wanted to get everyone out together. The marines sent to protect them had all been slaughtered, but at least there was still a chance to get the team back alive.
On the balcony, Lisa was thinking the same thing. With the aid of the boy who fought earlier, her fiancée and her friends could make it through the tournament, and possibly free her and Jackie. Then they could all go home and try to forget this nightmare.
Jackie, on the other hand, found herself petrified for Nick. She had never admitted to anyone, even to herself, than she had feelings for him; but seeing him in the same arena as those gladiators nearly tore her heart to pieces. Even though the new guy was powerful, she didn't want Nick out there at all. She just wanted him next to her, back in their time.
In the darkness of the gladiator room, Kenshin kept surveying the other gladiators. For the most part, they were all much weaker than the Germanian thugs. If he could get the other men past the second round, there wouldn't be enough gladiators left to be any challenge for him.
Lance, however, found himself in a stare down with General Marcus, the tall soldier wearing shiny armor. Even in this dim lighting, it gleamed back at him. What really made Lance uncomfortable was the strange grin on the general's face. Whatever plan the emperor has devised must be something big.
Another Roman soldier rushed down a hidden stairwell, giving a message to the general through a barred window on a dark, iron door. The general listened as the soldier finished the message, and then smiled. He turned his gaze once again back to the four men on the other side of the room. To Kenshin, the general's evil grin said it all.
"It's time," the battousai said.