Gladiator 2

The training in the future days had been harder, but despite all that both Ti'Maar and Lara did their best, in essence however the relationship between the 2 was indeed like that of a teacher and student. In some cases Lara managed to make him learn some new moves from her however the cheetah sometimes was becoming the teacher for the tomb raider in some regards. Till the fight came the 2 had managed to prepare themselves for what was coming. By all accounts the training surely in Lara's view made her grow some muscles but at the same time giving her anthro cheetah part student to regain his confidence. Good thing they got some time to spend before going to the arena, of course in the case of outfits, Lara still got the strophium and a loincloth but she was also wearing a breast armour and some protection for her legs. Of course according to Ti she has to be fast when meeting her challenger because it could be one who had trained to be more muscular. Or if that wasn't the case been more resistant was the key, especially after she was made to do long distance running and heavy weight lifting with rocks building endurance.

"I believe I have to say time for the show." Ti said.

"You hope it will be your last time you have to fight a prick like him."

"Let's just say with jerks like the one we are facing it gives me a degree of satisfaction. By all accounts may Athena give us wisdom and Diana to give us strength and may Nix give us peace." Ti said.

"You are a person who believes I see." Lara commented with a smile.

"I do seek divine guidance from gods, but in some cases the 3 goddesses are the ones that are like muses for me. Just between us Lara you are like a combination between the goddesses Diana and Athena, wisdom, intelligence, strength and with a sense of justice." Ti said.

"Thank you for the compliment, but in my field of work Ti sometimes I have to have anything but sense of justice when the fight isn't even sometimes." Commented Lara.

"When it comes to battle corrupt societies and politicians you can't do it in the legal way what to say about crazy rich people or other things to prevent dangerous artefacts from falling into the wrong hands." The cheetah said with a smile. "Still I believe it is a good analogy."

"If you say so." Lara said before Ti's brother came.

"Just came to inform you that I shall be in the front raw, as the referee. You know the opponents brother, not quite the patient type." He said.

"We are coming." The other cheetah said.

"One more thing for your friend, in the challenge been like lightening would win the game." He said.

"Are you giving us hints referee?" Lara asked.

"I didn't say anything." He said as he retreated with a smirk and discreetly.

"He surely gave us a hint didn't hint."

"That is the reason why we included training for both speed as well as resilience. Besides with how many opponents you had to face, maybe this one will be a walk in the park." Ti said.

"Still need to see what it will be." Lara commented.


The Arena

"Good thing we did both now." Lara commented on seeing the buddy of Ti's opponent which was a bulky human man who looked like a body builder who was surely an experience gladiator and on good inspection and view there was one thing to comment.

"You will surely need speed now to put him down." Ti whispered to Lara.

"Alongside resilience, we surely though of both options." Lara said before Xi came.

"Good luck both of you." Xi said before going to the gathered crowd to make the announcement.

"Good day dear friends, today we shall assist on a fight of honor in this gladiatorial match. To the left we got Ti'Maar of the house of Maar, my brother and Lady Lara Croft and on the right we got Lu'Xaar of the house of Xaar who had challenged him alongside his helper Vatusus Severus. This fight will be a clean one but not the less exciting. As the referee I shall try to be fair, gladiators take up your weapons." He said as both sides took up their weapons this time it was either staffs or wooden swords.

"I go for the man, you for your rival." Lara said.

"Got it." Ti'Maar said as he prepared for the fight.

"BEGIN!" Xi called and the fight was on. Ti went against his rival who turned out to have a very aggressive style of fighting, swinging his staff against Ti he was managing to doge and par every blow that might be coming. In the meantime her opponent came to her and she started to apply the same tactic of first dogging and paring any attack that might come. Their strategy was to tire their opponents before striking them down hard. Of course this strategy shouldn't be without giving a show to the onlookers. Ti'Maar and Lara despite been on the defensive they were giving some unpredictable moves. Their opponents of course had realised that and tried to change places, this was one mistake as Lara moved between them and used her staff to make her opponent trip down before reaching Ti'Maar.

"They are surely warned out now but they realised the strategy we employed." Lara said.

"We switch then, each with his own opponent do you think you can deal with this man?" Ti asked.

"Don't worry, the bigger they are the harder they fall besides he isn't too clever as we are. Go and take down Lu'Xaar and as small advice use his pride against him." Lara said as the humanoid cheetah nodded as Lara went before the bilky man.

"Come over here big guy." Lara called as the gladiator went after her again, it was obvious that he somehow was frustrated to hit the young woman and Lara had just avoided its attacks while luring him towards the wall, once she was against the wall Lara jumped above the gladiator before using her staff to jump above him and with one swoop towards his legs causing him to trip and hit the wall making him faint. If there was one thing the famed tomb raider knows was how to approach opponents, in this case one has to use its wit to win.

"Vatusus Severus is down but Lu'Xaar is still fighting." Xi announced.

Lu'Xaar was fighting against Ti'Maar with full force, he had also discarded his own staff to try to use his claws against the other humanoid cheetah, it was painful to a degree but not too problematic, Lu then hit him with his foot at his stomach pushing him backwards against a wall. Ti'Maar had of course now had his nose bleeding but he isn't giving up, Ti'Maar looked towards him however with a calm face while his opponent was looking with a taunting smile.

"What happened Ti, tired already?" He called with a taunting voice.

"I am not finished yet." He called as he moved towards his opponent as he tried to hit him with his fist but was blocked.

"It seems you really turned soft, the mighty house of Maar isn't priding itself with warriors anymore I believe with you." He said trying to taunt him.

"I might have turned to more scholarly pursuits, my brother is now more to be a warrior, but yet what should a warrior be." Ti'Maar said as he tried to land another hit on him. "I don't think the house of Xaar is much proud of its sole representative now, because what honorable warrior is one who always likes to boast himself around non-stop like taking challenges on the go or for minor misdemeanors and make a big fuss about it." He said as he now hit a nerve now.

"Indeed, what is good to be a warrior if you don't know or maybe you lost something important to been one." The cheetah said before Lu tried to land a hit on him only for Ti to grab it and with a fast swing went behind him and he is now holding him tight by the neck.

"And that is never to get your pride to ruffle the feathers." Ti said as he was holding him to the ground by the neck.

"Yield!"

"Damn you!" He said as he was holding him tighter.

"Shouldn't we stop this, Lu'Xaar could die now?" Lara asked Xi.

"Unfortunately not it is all according to the rules in a sense bringing one to unconsciousness like you did is accepted. However one can't intervene now unless you want to help Ti now." Explained Xi.

"I shall then help your brother to prevent him from having to kill his opponent." Lara said as she went in with her staff.

"Yield!" Ti called again.

"No!" He said before a hit was landed on him and in the next moment the end of a staff was now pointed towards his throat as Lara looked with a glacial glare.

"Yield." She demanded.

"I….Yield!" The words came out very hard for him but enough to declare it as Xi went to them to take their hands.

"And the winners are Ti'Maar and Lady Lara Croft." Xi announced raising their hands as the crowd of both felines and humans started to cheer them.

"You had done well Ti." Lara said.

"What can I say, I had good teachers." He said with a smile to her before turning to Lu who just got back on his feet.

"Lu'Xaar, we might fought and I might have won, but even with that there is no reason to be enemies." Ti said holding his hand towards his adversary.

"You do you hold your hand out for me?"

"I am not one to hold grudges, sometimes the greatest act of one's courage is to admit its mistakes and be able to forgive." He said as the other cheetah turned to one side in shame.

"I am sorry I just wanted to live up to my family's name." Lu said.

"And you can still do, you are a good warrior but one also needs to know how to think before going into a fight. And the most important decision one could make is never let one's emotions carry judgment away." Ti said before Lu at last showed a smile shaking his hand of forgiveness.

"Thank you for helping me see the errors of my deeds." Lu said reconciling with him. Later that evening at Ti's villa he and Lara were celebrating their victory over a dinner with fried chicken alongside wine and honey cakes. This time Lara wore a traditional roman tunic so to be more presentable.

"I have to declare that I didn't saw you needing that much training for this fight against your rival. You had done like any good warrior I had trained." Lara said.

"True, however it is the law of the valley that had to be uphold and since we both had win the match you can now leave back into your world." Ti said.

"I know that, despite the fact that the valley had started to grow on me to be fair." Lara said.

"It does have this allure to it. Living like during the Greco-roman world is indeed alluring." He said taking a sip from his wine.

"But I would advise against leaving right away, since…..issues could happen down the road." Ti said.

"What kind of issues?" Lara asked.

"During those times there are some who would really want to keep the valley a secret. Some explorers that come here don't stay only because of wanting it but also because there are some obstacles given from some. You see, not all abide by the law here that if one wins a match will be allowed to leave there are some who would like to keep the valley as secret as possible a group known as the umbras, meaning shadows are going around on the roads towards the exit during the night. Rumor says that they possess the feline's amulet which contains part of a stone from the temple of the felines. I had presented it to you haven't I?"

"It is in the temple district and I noticed from behind the doors when the priests were coming out the orb beneath the statue of the 4 deities all representing the main felines residing here."

"Indeed, trouble that I try to tell is that the amulet they have has the power of turning people who try to escape into felines. Of course the thing can be reversed but it depends on how much the amulet was worn by the victim." Ti explained.

"So there is a risk especially at night."

"Not only, in order for you to be inconspicuous you have to wear the clothes that you are wearing now, and also. They are around at specific times to guard. This could mean that another day here might be in order, because leaving immediately is surely not a good idea." Ti explained.

"And you think staying another day might be the safest option?" Lara asked.

"Staying for another day while also waking up before the raising of the sun, so when the second teams of guards arrives, you would be back into your world." He explained.

"So be it then." Lara said before taking another sip from her wine.

"I might be able to see some parts of the valley."

"You will still have good views to see, and also as an extra information you are now declared a full member of this valley now, unfortunately not of the upper class as you should, however you should become one it will be befitting to the status you have in your world." Ti said.

"The status isn't that much important as in the past Ti."

"I still consider it befitting." Ti said with a laugh as she too started to laugh.


The next day was mostly mundane if one was to comment on things, however for Lara and Ti'Maar they had to behave as normally as possible, aside from visiting the baths and the pond. But also it was also for Ti and Lara to make a final adjustment; they went to a potion maker to order a sleep potion for them to have just in case it was necessary and also to get some information about the umbras. In the evening however the Tomb Raider knew things could be always very full of surprises.

"Lara, Lara." The young lady heard a voice opening her eyes quickly she noticed Ti'Maar near her bed.

"What?"

"It is time, take your bag." Ti said as the tomb raider shaking off the remaining drowsiness she took her bag, where all her belongings were, as Ti said to her she decided to wear her tunic so as to no attract suspicion as well as a travel cloak that was black just as Ti had now. Going through the night on the road where the exit was Ti heard some noises before making signal with his paw to stop as they noticed three felines who had tunics with black insignias on.

"The umbras." Ti whispered as they watched them before one of the umbras yawned.

"Let's go to sleep guys I really am tired." Said one of them.

"Me too the shift will come soon anyways." Said the second one.

"Let's go, no one came here to try to leave the valley." Said the third one as they started to walk away, when they were out of sight the two went to the cave.

"Well I guess this is farewell." Ti said with a voice of regret.

"Unfortunately, but I do have to declare that you were indeed a good and trusted friend and just between us there are not many whom I would trust so deeply." Lara said with a smile.

"I just hope that we will again meet I have to say that we had many things in common." He said before bowing himself to her.

"We might have met unofficially on a rough position but when we met officially we were cordial I would like to part on the same terms." Ti said.

"And if we meet again, we will meet as friends." Lara said before bowing herself to him as well before she turned around towards the cave to move till she arrived outside the valley, where she dressed herself into her clothing she came with before entering the valley of the land of Taria. Looking one last time to the cave covered in moss she smiled thinking she will keep the memories of the mysterious land with great fondness especially with the golden amulet she has now with the symbol of the land that the two brothers had given her.