That was the rules of the Gladiator games, but I just wanted to see my family I wanted to make sure they were safe, so I made a scene on my arrival, General Quintus was send to take care of the problem slave, on his arrival I shouted “I want to see my family”, “Well Virtus win some matches and earn some points you can use it to see them, I assure you they are safe”. I knew I could not take his word for it, but I had no other choice but to obtain points in every match and survive. There was 100 days of games and I would participate in 10, if I survived every one of them that would give me a total of 1000 max points, but I had to win the crowd for max points, but how. Only two Gladiators out of 8000 Gladiators named Hilarus and Raecius Felix survived all 10 matches.
We had training given to us by Hilarus the once a Gladiator he had more than 10 fights in a row and his age was 45 years old. He had a lot of experience; he also trained Felix who would face the last Gladiator standing on the 100th day of the games should the Last Gladiator choose to.
The armour we received was no special weapons and not of very good quality, some of the blades were blunt and some of the swords points were bend, they were not cleaned and the smell and stains of blood were still on the metal some of them had hair pieces stuck to it.
I started to form an alliance of my own with the underdogs who I could see had the potential to surprise the crowd and possibly win the crowd. They were Tau, Aries, Spartacus, Flamma and Marcus.
We were trained to use specific weapons and given Gladiator names to suite our unique fighting style, Tau was trained as “Dimachaerus” to use a sword in each hand with a broad-rimmed helmet that enclosed the entire head only having two holes to look through. Spartacus was trained as “Hoplomachus” to use a gladius sword and a very small round shield. He also carried a spear he wore quilted, trouser-like leg wrappings, loincloth, a belt, a pair of long shin-guards, an arm guard on the sword-arm, and a brimmed helmet had a single feather on each side. Aries was trained as “Murmillones” to use a thracian curved sword. He wore a helmet with a stylised fish on the crest as well as an arm guard, a loincloth and belt, a gaiter on his right leg, thick wrappings covering the tops of his feet, and a very short greave with an indentation for the padding at the top of the feet. Flamma was trained as “Provocatores” to use a spear and axe. He had a loincloth, a belt, a long greave on the left leg, and a visored helmet. A breastplate which was crescent-shaped he also had a tall, rectangular shield. Marcus was trained as a “Bestiarius” a beast-fighter he carried a spear, a dagger, and a net and without the protection of a helmet, a metal shoulder shield to protect the neck and lower face and arm guards up to the shoulders.
As for me, I was trained as “Dimachaerus” to use a sword in the one hand and a spear in the other. I had a wide belt and a shoulder guard and on my leading leg a leg guard.
The Gladiator Games schedule - Round 1:
Tau would fight against Prudes on the 1stday; I would fight my first battle on the 3rd day against Tetraites. Aries would face off against Priscus on the 5th. Spartacus would fight against Aurelius on the 7th day, Flamma to face Spiculus on the 9th and Marcus to face a 308 lb Lion on the 10th day of the Gladiator Games.
Tomorrow the games would begin and the nerves was starting to settle in I could feel the restlessness in the cell, everybody just stared at each other and no one was making a sound, we were separated from our contenders and I could see who had no experience of battle, we were slaves and prisoners only here to make money for the people who brought us here and for entertainment, as I looked around I could see some of them praying to their Gods to spare them in battle and some was focusing on their own strategy for the battle. I was focussed on surviving and to get back my family. We were well fed and well looked after, they knew we were their money.
Daybreak has arrived and it was time for the Gladiator Games to start.
Tau was very big and muscular with his tribe’s marks on his arms. Prudes was average build and not that big but speed was on his side. The Gladiator Games opened with the opening of the day's program of fights with the Equites they rode white horses and fought in the style of Roman Cavalries they were 10 Gladiator slayers on 5 Cavalries against 5 Gladiators. The Gladiators Lost, all of them died.
I was his time for Tau to take the arena; he was lined up next to Prudes in the hall before the gates. They were led out by the guards and walked out onto the arena grounds to their positions. They were instructed to bow to Emperor Nero from Greece and Emperor Julius Caesar of Rome. The two Emperors had joined hands when the son of Julius and the daughter of Nero exchanged their vows. They bowed to the two Emperors before starting in battle, Prudes struck first but Tau quickly reacted with a devastating blow to the head from his sword knocking off Prudes helmet the crowd shouted and the load noises could be heard echoing through the Amphitheatre. Then a sudden silence could be heard the crowd did not see it coming Tau killed his opponent so fast the crowd did not even see it happen. Then the crowd started to boo him, not entertained he only received 10 points for his victory. Tau was not amused by the crowd and neither by the amount of points he received. “I am not here for your entertainment!” he shouted to the crowd and left the arena.
He was to fight again after 10 days, the sunset and the sunrise for the 3rd day of the Gladiator Games, it was my turn. And I was ready!
Tetraites looked ready to do battle, I knew I had to keep a clean mind and focus on the task at hand, “forget about everything, win the crowd” I kept repeating the words to myself in my head. The introduction came: Get ready the next battle will be Tetraites vs Virtus. It was time to live. We walked next to each other onto the arena grounds and placed next to each other facing the Emperors. “Bow to the Emperor Nero and Emperor Julius” the guard said. Tetraites bowed to them but I will not until I die, that honour they will not have. The guard forced me to bow pushing me and pushing me, I snapped and took his life by cutting off his head with one swing of my sword. The crowd awakened and started to chant my name Virtus-Virtus. The battle was to start and my sword already tasted blood, my mind was elsewhere I could see my family in my mind then I could feel a burning sensation on my right leg, I was cut I had to focus “concentrate Virtus” I said to myself. My focus was back and this fight had to be spectacular and crowd pleasing, I played with Tetraites, mocking him and dodging his strikes, toying with him, he was to slow for me I could anticipate his every move. Being a soldier you learn to notice fight patterns and use it to your advantage.
First I disarmed him of all his weapons. Then I disarmed myself changing it into a fist fight, beating each other to a pulp, I could hear the crowed shouting loudly out of pure pleasure for the way the battle is being done, once I could see that Tetraites could not take this beating anymore I handed him his sword making myself seem defenceless without any weapon. He took a few swings at me but missed. I walked up to the crowd and picked up my sword shouting “This is Entertainment!” turned around and with one blow decapitated Tetraites. The crowd got very load and stood up on their feet as they shouted my name Virtus-Virtus-Virtus! I received max 100 points with that victory.
I had no injuries inflicted by Tetraites, I could use the points for weapon upgrades or exchange for money, but my goal was simple it was freedom. I would fight again in 10 days, I would train and study my next opponent, we would get the battle list after the last battle that would be after the battle of Marcus on the 10th day.
Aries would face off against Priscus within two days. Aries was a slave and knew how to defend himself, he had many battles in the mud pits his nickname was the Pit Lion given to him by his followers. Aries was fast and agility was his strong point. Priscus was tall and somewhat clumsy but very powerful, his specialised weapon was the swinging hammer. They both studied each other in training trying to find their opponent’s weak spot. Two more sunsets and sunrises and it was time, Aries would do battle he would face Priscus to the death. It was not long and their names was called out, both men eager to kill each other ready to do battle, walking
onto the centre of the arena. Once finished bowing to the Emperors the battle started, Priscus was too much for Aries he out powered him in all aspects, Aries shopped at Priscus’s shoulder, cutting it to the bone with his thracian sword but that did not slow the clumsy Priscus down. Priscus grabbed at Aries’s helmet and ripped it right off, Priscus struck Aries with his hammer on his feet trying to slow Aries down and cutting down on his agility, the thick wrappings that covered the top of his feet did not help as Priscus broke the bones in Aries feet with his enormous hammer. As Aries fell to the ground he was struck on the head instantly killing him with the impact of the hammer. One member of our group has died only 5 left of us and 3 of them still had to fight one of them Spartacus he would fight against Aurelius on the 7th day. Spartacus had some military experience and was one of the front line soldiers in the Greece army. He was very good with close combat and weapons handling, he was one of the best contenders to win the Games. Aurelius was unknown, no one knew him he did not join any alliances, he kept to himself. It was very hard for Spartacus to prepare for battle because he
His Victory Page 2
