Milo POV
Milo tore through the villa, searching for the room that held Cassia. He knew this was Corvus' mansion. He saw his horse tied haphazardly to a post. People may blur, but Milo knew horses. He wondered why there was nobody in the halls. For the moment, he didn't care. It gave him a chance to pick up a sword in one of the rooms on the first floor.
A thump came from upstairs, followed by a soft cry. Milo darted up the stairs and threw open the first door he came to, revealing Corvus bent over Cassia's reclining form.
Corvus whipped around as the door slammed open and smiled at Milo.
"You wouldn't interrupt a man and his wife on their wedding night?" He asked. He felt at Cassia's torn neckline.
"Get away from her!" Milo spat. He aimed his sword at Corvus' chest as he advanced toward Cassia.
Corvus stood up and slowly backed away from Cassia. He stood against the back wall, watching Milo intently.
Milo turned to Cassia.
"Are you all right?" He asked. More accurately, he tried to ask, because as soon as he turned Corvus snatched a clay urn off the ground and launched it at his head.
The urn shattered against Milo and knocked him to the ground. Cassia sat up and gasped. Before she could even stand Corvus had retrieved his sword from the belt he had carelessly tossed aside when he entered the room and sprung at Milo.
Milo scrambled to his feet just as Corvus swung his sword at the spot he had fallen.
"Barbarian dog." Corvus snarled. "Let's see you fight an honorable man." He assumed a perfect swordfighting stance, his sword angled to protect his entire body.
Milo could see that Corvus knew how to swordfight. But he also knew Corvus didn't fight for his life every day. And he mentioned honor. There was no place for honor in the arena. Just violence and death. Victory by any means necessary. There were no rules and no mercy. For the first time in his life, Milo was glad he was a gladiator.
Corvus charged Milo, who stepped sideways and turned to avoid the blow. He didn't know how Corvus fought, and right now it was best to gauge his style and look for weak spots.
Corvus pivoted neatly without stopping and swung his sword at Milo's neck. Milo jerked his sword upward to fend off the blow and their swords crashed together, staggering Milo and sending shockwaves screaming up his arm. The impact startled Corvus as well, and he stepped backward. Milo took advantage of the moment and slammed his shoulder into Corvus, knocking him back another step. Before he could regain his balance, Milo stabbed at his chest. Corvus knocked his blade aside, but Milo leaned forward and the sword slashed across Corvus' other arm.
Corvus hissed lightly and leapt backward. The two stared at each other intensely and waited for the next move.
Milo sprang forward and feinted at Corvus' side. At the last moment he turned his sword downward at Corvus' legs, but Corvus anticipated him and moved forward, bringing him too close for the blow to gain momentum. At the same moment, he swept his sword sideways in a blow that would have cut Milo in half had he no hopped sideways and around Corvus to ride it. As it was, it scored a light gash along his side. Milo ignored it and raised his sword for another strike.
Neither of them noticed that the woman they were fighting over was no longer in the room.
Cassia POV
Cassia stared dumbly as Milo raised his sword and said… something. She couldn't process whatever it was. Corvus stopped groping her- she processed that- and turned to look at the intruder. He heaved himself off of her and sullenly backed against a wall as Milo kept talking.
Could it really be? Was she hallucinating to escape what Corvus was doing to her? Milo certainly looked real. He was dirty and tousled. Surely she wouldn't imagine that.
Milo approached her and turned toward her. He was about to say something else. Then something exploded by his head and he crumpled to the ground. The cacophonous shattering convinced her that Milo was entirely real and he was really here for her. She gasped and sat up as she realized Corvus had thrown something at Milo. She saw him grab his belt. The sight of his belt brought a moment of revulsion, but it quickly turned to horror when she saw him retrieve his sword and spring at Milo.
Cassia had no idea what to do. She was painfully smaller than Corvus and had never even held a sword before. Maybe she could at least help Milo, but what if she got in his way? What if Corvus grabbed her and made Milo drop his sword?
She couldn't just sit and do nothing. That wouldn't hurt but it was certain not to help, either.
I know, she thought. I'll go get the other slaves. Corvus can't fight them all.
She slipped off the bed and darted out of the room. Milo and Corvus were too busy circling each other to even notice. She sprinted down the stairs toward the servants' quarters. They were a row of cell-like rooms with planks barring the doors as a simple lock. It was the work of minutes to lift the boards and free the occupants. Most of them sat dully in the darkness and didn't move. Others cowered in corners and begged Cassia to seal them back in.
Cassia stopped in frustration. There were a lot fewer servants that she had hoped. More than half of them were women, mostly flighty and malnourished. She was sickened to see that a number of them were children, many who looked barely old enough to dress themselves. The few men were old and struggled to walk. One seemed to be blind.
They won't be any help, Cassia thought in frustration. Even if they had the strength and courage to fight, Corvus could cut them down at his leisure. We'd only get in the way.
Cassia refused to give up. She ran along the hall, searching for the one person she knew she could count on.
"Helena! Helena, where are you?" She cried.
"I'm here, Lady Cassia!" Cassia heard the reply coming from a cell down the line. She heaved the bar out of the way and threw open the door. Helena flew out of the room, more animated than Cassia thought her capable.
"What are you doing here?" She asked excitedly. "Is Corvus dead?"
"No, he's upstairs fighting Milo. We have to help him! Where's the arsenal?" Cassia demanded.
Helena wasn't sure how two young women were going to defeat Corvus, but she trusted Cassia and she knew where the armory was. She led Cassia to a room filled with weapons of all sorts.
Cassia looked all around at weapons she didn't even know existed and tried to be sensible. Projectiles would be optimal, but she didn't have the strength to draw the longbows that were as tall as she was. She certainly didn't want to rush in with a sword or dagger. That wouldn't end well. Then she saw some spears. They were six feet long and wickedly sharp. They would lengthen her reach and were easy enough for her to use.
She grabbed one and tossed the other to Helena. Helena looked entirely unsure awkwardly holding a spear and looking expectantly at her.
"Just… point that end at Corvus and we'll go from there." Cassia told her. She tried to look confident as she led Helena back up the stairs toward Milo.