Spartacus: Blood and Sand

'The Lioness'

Chapter 4: Holding Their Own

The nights are still warm after a day of training under the watchful eye of Batiatus, and the crack of the whip from Doctore. No colder is the stone as I rest my head against it's walls, and lay on my cot. A more welcoming warmth appeared at my cell as I saw Iva at the bars of my cell, and was allowed entrance by one of the guards. I looked over to her as the door to my cell was closed, "I bring you word from the Dominus," she said as sat beside me, and reclining on her hip, "I am to fight on the sands, but I am to fight alone,"

"It comes as no surprise to me, for you are new to the sands, as you are a new gladiator, you will have more chances to prove yourself on the sands," I replied to her, when a gladiator gains more kills and more experience in the arena, the more coin and value that gladiator is worth. With that, those higher value gladiators will fight less often in the arena. I rested my head in her lap, and she gently stroked my hair. I placed a kiss between her breasts, and looked up at her as Iva stood up from the cot, and smiled warmly.

Iva undressed herself to reveal a body I will never tire of gazing upon. I laid on my back, and she straddled me as we made love. I ran my fingers through her seas of curled brown locks as she graced my lips with her kiss. My hands always welcomed the feeling of her soft, and tender flesh. Our time together was brief as she sat at the edge of the cot, and smiled back to me for an eventful evening, "I must go, I fight on the morrow at the midday," said Iva, redressing herself in her dress, "I ask that you be there for me,"

"You have my word," I replied, my word to her is my bond

"And never have I lost faith in such a precious thing," she replied quietly as I gently embraced her with my breasts pressing against her back, and my kiss upon her neck, and on the crown of her head. She chuckled quietly as my hands gently stroked up her breasts, and down the curves to her waist. Iva turned to me, and caressed the tips of her fingers off my chin, and made her leave of my cell. As she left my cell under the escort of a guard, I know of where she was going. The Romans, and their traditions of wine and excess.

The morning came with the light of the sun through the iron bars of my cell. My door was opened by a sentry, and I was allowed to leave in the same cart as Iva to the arena. It was the smaller of the two arenas in Capua. It is the same arena where my first match took place. She sat down at an exedra under the arena to armor herself with her greaves. I helped with her iron manica, and lioness pelt covering her breasts. Her swords are sharpened on a grindstone, and I tugged lightly at her armor to see to it that it is well-fitted.

Iva turned her brown eyes up to me, and gave me a kiss with those soft, lightly colored, and perfectly pouty lips. Amid the roars of the crowd, Iva put on her helmet and I gave her two swords. Up at the podium, I could hear Batiatus giving his praises to his offering, "People of Capua, the warrior I present to you all needs no introduction, a warrior that is worthy of Mighty Queen Tomyris herself, a beauty and beast molded into one! I give you Iva...Dimachaerus, the Lioness of Anatolia!" praised Batiatus as Iva entered the sands

"Go forth, 'Lioness', the hunt begins," I said in encouragement.

"Why does she fight alone?" Crixus questioned standing near me

"I believe the Dominus is putting forth a challenge," I replied

"He knows of your bond...he tests the strength," said Spartacus

"Like armor before it's first taste of battle," I concluded to him

To give her praises to Cybele the Mother Goddess, she raised the tips of her swords to the sky and roared out her battle-cry to the cheers of the crowds. Crixus cheered for her while Spartacus, and I remained quiet as I held the iron bars and watched her soak in the praises of the crowds, "Do not worry for her," said Spartacus, "she has the same spark within her bosom as did you when you first stepped onto those hallowed sands," I nodded lightly to him. Iva was facing a Numidian of the House of Silonius by the name of Kida.

"We who are about to die salute you!" they pledged to Batiatus and Silonius in the stands. On their command, the fight began. I watched as Iva crossed her swords, and bowed to her opponent. Kida wore brass armor. She was armed and armored as 'Thracian'. Iva parried her Sica with her crossed swords, and moved inside Kida's guard, and struck her in the faceguard with a hard elbow combined with a slash of her other side to glance of the side of her helmet. Iva weaved to evade Kida's Sica as well as the edge of her shield.

She used one of her swords to parry the Sica, and shield. The other was feint stab to the face with the second following to make first wound on Kida's flesh with a slash between the breasts. Kida had neatly braided locks with beads on the ends which, to some eyes, resemble serpents as they flowed with her movements as did Iva's soft curls. Iva parried a downward slash meant to part her skull in two. She moved the Sica to the side, and kicked the sword out from Kida's hand. She struck the Numidian in the head with her own.

Kida rolled away to evade Iva, "She has skill," I observed

"Still, it is quite clear that Iva is the better," said Crixus, the crowds of Romans cheered as the battle raged on. Crixus's judgement holds sway in this match. The match was near a conclusion as Iva's swords were thrusted into Kida's flesh at her shoulder, and at her belly. Kida fell to her knees, and Iva looked up toward the stands at Batiatus and Silonius for their decision on Kida's fate. Kida removed her helmet, and Iva did the same so the Numidian can look upon the face of the one who bested her. I do the same after a match.

Silonius did not show any content on Kida's performance on the sands. With her sword at her neck, the thumb pointed down which meant that Kida must die. Iva still held Kida in high regard for her skill in battle. She pulled out the second swords from flesh, and I heard Iva's words to Kida, "Close your eyes, Kida, hold your chin up with pride, it matters not what your Dominus thinks of you, for you fought well in my eyes, and it is my hope that your gods shall receive you with warm embrace," said Iva facing the fallen Numidian

"Gratitude," said Kida, and gave Iva her final request before her mortal life is to cease, "do it...end me so that my gods can have me," she requested, with a spin and a slash at her neck. Kida's neck was cut. The Numidian bled out, and fell facedown on the sands. The crowds cheered, and Iva pointed the tip of her sword to Batiatus. Amid those riotous praises of the People of Capua, Iva picked up her helmet and walked over to the iron bars which were opened by a guard. I was there to greet her with my hand on her shoulder

"Well done," I said, softly touching my forehead against hers

(Note: Kida's helmet is the Valentine Armory 'Thracian' Helmet)