The Warrior Race Trilogy BoxSet

by T. C. Edge

  They returned to the upper floors, and Kira was taken to his personal chambers at the summit of the villa. He drew her there with a quickening step, casting all weakness aside and turning his mind back to the task at hand. Reaching his office, he introduced her to the large pile of books adorning his desk.

  "These are for research," he said. "All bouts and gladiators ever to grace the sand have been documented, to varying degrees. Some have barely a sentence written about them. Those are the sorts who don't last long. You've seen to a few of those yourself already. Others, however, have a more storied past, and have many pages dedicated to their great triumphs and feats. I spend much of my time searching for clues within these many tomes in order to help my gladiators to victory. This year...I've been primarily searching for ways of helping you."

  Kira moved towards the desk, and began fingering a few books. There were dozens of them, some worn and dusty, others fresh and new. One was particularly large, and opened out on the dest right before Dom's seat. She glanced at the open page and saw a picture of a younger Ares, dressed in gladiator armour and holding a great sword above him.

  Dom saw her eyes drift to the page.

  "Yes, the great Ares," he said. "It's such a shame that my mother has this hold over him. I've been looking for ways to try to weaken her grip. So far, it hasn't borne much fruit."

  "And he commands a lot of ink, I assume?"

  "More than any other," said Dom. "His pages are filled with amazing feats, not only during his time as a gladiator, but as part of the Imperial Guard too."

  "And can he be defeated? I mean, you make it sound like he's invincible. Surely a host of top warriors could take him out?"

  Dom released a blow of air through his lips.

  "It would have to be the best of the best," said Dom. "Of course, it's possible, yes. But most of the greatest fighters in the city are part of the Imperial Guard."

  "And what about your gladiators? If Shadow, Oom, Malvo, Lee, and I all fought him together, then what?"

  Dom's shoulders bobbed.

  "It might be a decent fight," he said. "I doubt Malvo or Lee would last long. Oom would tire quick enough. Shadow remains a frightening fighter of his own accord, but wouldn't be a match for Ares by himself. And you, Kira. Well, I know how skilled you are. But a warrior like Ares was born for this, and he's lived it for years. Anyway, it's all hypothetical. I can't exactly march all my gladiators to the palace and demand a bout with Ares now can I?"

  "No, I wasn't saying that. I'm just trying to get an idea of how good this guy really is. What about others? The other greatest ever fighters? You and Claud were talking about these mercenaries in Southside, right? Aren't there great warriors out there you could recruit. Hell, if there wasn't a rebellion on back home, I'd go and fetch up some of my friends. There's a few of us back there who could make a difference."

  "I don't doubt it," said Dom. "But speaking of great fighters, a lot enter into the Imperial Guard. Others return home, or else use their fame to pursue other avenues and lose their status as warriors. Then there are those that are banished..."

  "Banished? Why would a gladiator be banished?"

  "Well, this book explains it," said Dom, flicking the pages of the great tome before him. Kira caught the title - Heroes of the Colosseum - and noticed Dom moving back to the early sections of the book. "Back at the beginning of the games," he explained, "telepaths were included."

  "Or Mind-Manipulators," said Kira. "That's what we call them back home."

  "Right, exactly. MMs, who could end fights without having to actually, well, fight. They'd just use their mental skills to get others to do the fighting for them. Some were only telepaths, while others had additional augmentations too, like speed or great eyesight."

  "Well, when you took me from Haven, I was with two just like that. Twins, Zander and Brie. Both were Mind-Manipulators, and had amazing speed and eyesight too. I wish we had them here right now."

  "You know, so do I," sighed Dom. "I didn't take them because telepaths are outlawed. My mother has feared them since the early days. People with such powers were always a threat to her, or so she imagined."

  "Yeah, I get it. So, when these telepaths started dominating the games, she just outlawed and exiled them?"

  "Exactly."

  "And these people...they'll have a grudge against her, right?"

  "I'd say so," said Dom, still working through the book. He found the right page, and tapped his finger down. Kira leaned in for a closer look.

  "Polus," she said, reading the name printed at the top. "He was a telepath?"

  Dom nodded.

  "The best of them. His mind was akin to my mother's, and he had other abilities too. His banishment caused the biggest stir of all. The people loved him, and yet she exiled him anyway. And you have to remember, this was back when she was entirely stable. Ambitious, yes, but a good ruler for the most part. The city prospered for many years back then. But...there was still that lingering aversion to competition inside her. Polus was becoming too popular, and too powerful, too quickly. So she got rid of him."

  "And by 'got rid of him' you do actually mean banished, right? She didn't have him killed?"

  "Well, there's a lot of debate about that. It seems no one truly knows, least no one I've met. This was quite a time ago, before I can remember."

  "So he'd be old now?"

  "Yes, fairly old."

  "And, you say he had other powers. Like what?"

  "Hmmmm, several, as with your twin friends. He had incredible speed, both of body and thought. Within a split second, he could whizz around the arena and take all his opponents under his spell. Only those with comparable pace could possibly deny him."

  "Sounds impressive."

  "There's more," said Dom. "Though again, this is partially rumour. It was said that Polus could enhance people himself, and unearth their full potential. Not regular people, of course, but those who already have genetic modifications. It was one of the many reasons why my mother exiled him, or so the rumours go. If Polus could surround himself with gifted warriors, take them under his spell, and unleash the full extent of their power...well, that would be something. He'd be unstoppable."

  "And do you believe all that?"

  "Some, yes," said Dom. "I believe he could help to draw out someone's full potential, absolutely. I've heard of such people before over the years, and certain telepaths have been known to have that power, to some degree at least. But, him actually wishing to overthrow my mother, or becoming a threat to her? No, I don't believe that at all. From all the research I've done, I've found him to be a humble man who never wished for power. My mother's behaviour towards him was preventative, more than anything."

  "OK, so it sounds like you've thought a lot about this Polus?"

  "Recently, yes. I've begun searching for clues of his whereabouts, and whether he's actually alive or not. I spoke with Merk the other day, albeit briefly. He seems to be firmly of the mind that Polus is alive, and out there somewhere. I was thinking, at the time, about you, Kira. I want you to survive all of this. If I could find Polus, and he could unleash the full power inside you, you could win the games..."

  His voice was rising, but Kira shut it down.

  "This is beyond the games now. And who's to say there's anything more within me? Some people don't reach their full potential because they don't train, or develop their powers. I've been doing so since I was a little girl, Dom. I doubt there's much scope to augment what I already am."

  "You may be right, but that's where my thoughts led me. But now, as you say, it's gone beyond that. Polus could be a powerful ally in this fight. If he's still alive, that is."

  "And, how can we determine that? How could we find him if he is?"

  "Well, that's just the question I've been asking myself."

  83

  The night was long and sleepless. Kira and Dom sat together within his office, occasionally moving down the hall to his private library and, when needed, utilising
the bathroom facilities too. It was a night that held a single purpose - search for clues of Polus' whereabouts. Seek out the man who might aid them in this struggle.

  For hours they searched, every mention of Polus in the many great tomes within Dom's collection sifted through. Mostly, word of the man was of his great achievements within the arena, and the feats he performed. Some, however, were history books, dealing with the man's fate after he'd become champion. His growing fame and rising star, put out when he was banished.

  His years post-exile, which accounted for upwards of two decades, were filled with rumour and not fact. It seemed that every passage in every book that dealt with the subject, did so with the caveat that they were dealing in the realm of theory, and not truth. The urban legends were rife, some even going as far to say that Polus still lived among them, within Neorome, somewhere inside the city.

  Even off this strand of enquiry, Kira and Dom discovered further tales. For some, Polus was living a normal life. He had a family, and resided in the quieter, lonelier parts of the city somewhere along the southern edge of the Tiber. Those who propounded this theory suggested that he was using his telepathic powers to remain secret and hidden. That he was right there, hiding in plain sight, and living the only life he ever wanted.

  Others agreed that he was in the city, though in a very different capacity. He was, according to the more fanciful theories, running an underground criminal network, destabilising the functioning of Southside in order to mess with the Empress. He was building his army, waiting for the time to strike. It was a theory that Kira rather liked the sound of, but which Dom speedily debunked.

  Whatever they found, however, came with little devotion to fact. The truth was that, since his departure from Neorome - and this was, in fact, the last time his whereabouts was officially documented - there was no firm knowledge of where he might be found. Thus the theories had developed and evolved, most of them spoken via whispers from ear to ear, and by those who'd never met or even known the man on any level at all.

  And this is when a consideration came to Kira, during the lonely hours of night when the city was silent, and the household too.

  She was reading a particular book, an older one that appeared less celebrated. It dealt with the facts only, and yet the impression Kira got was of an author who knew Polus, and knew him well. Anecdotes of a personal nature were included, biographical accounts of simple events that illuminated the man behind the feats, behind the power, behind his great triumphs in the arena.

  They spoke instead of dinners, of conversations, of the laughter of the man, and his abundant smile. His good nature and effervescence. His love of poetry and wine. Kira read the dusty old book, and knew that it was easy to overlook. The people, after all, would be more interested in Polus' gladiatorial conquests and mastery of the arena, than what lay behind them, within his character. They saw the fighter and warrior, and not the man of simple pleasures beyond.

  Kira took the book to Dom, as they reclined in his library. He was sat on a comfy sofa, still combing through an excessively large opus about the 'Age of the Telepaths', so the time during their inclusion in the games was called.

  She loomed above him, holding the much smaller book in hand. His eyes worked up and frowned.

  "Is that..."

  Kira finished for him, reading from the front.

  "The Man Behind the Mind - The Truth of Polus Pompey," she said.

  "Where did you find it? I'd totally forgotten." Dom sat up, taking the book from Kira's hands.

  "It had fallen back behind a stack of books on one of the shelves," she said. "The author really seems to know him. Do you think he might be of some help?"

  Dom was flicking through the pages.

  "I can't believe I forgot about this one," he said, shaking his head. "I read it so long ago..."

  "Dom," said Kira, forcing his eyes up. "The author, Cicero M. Herma. Do you think he can help. He is...alive, isn't he?"

  Dom began to think, racking his brain.

  "I'm not sure. He was hardly a prolific or famous writer. This book was mostly ignored because of it. I remember people dismissing it as a money-grab. You know, riding the wave of Polus' fame to make some cash. It was written a while after he was banished, though, when things had begun to die down. I guess he should have released it sooner if he wanted to make any money from it."

  "So you don't believe it's true? Is that what you're saying."

  "Well, that's what a lot of people thought. I remember reading it as a kid and being gripped, you know. I found it interesting reading about the person behind the armour. Most didn't, though. They dismissed it as dull and questioned whether Cicero even knew Polus. In the end, he never wrote another book. At least, not as far as I'm aware."

  "And you don't know where he might be now?"

  "No. I haven't thought about him in years. But I'll have Claud find out for us. He'll be well worth talking to if he's still in town."

  "I'd say," said Kira.

  Dom smiled up at her.

  "Good find."

  "And, anything on your end? Anything interesting?"

  Dom looked down to the staggeringly large manuscript upon his lap.

  "It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Mostly this one's got highly detailed accounts of the various telepaths and their specific qualities and bouts. It's more fact than speculation, and deals with the games, rather than what happened after. It's fascinating, for someone like me at least," he grinned. "But...probably not overly useful."

  The night swept on until morning began to filter through the windows. The changing of the light brought Kira's mind back to reality, the dawning of the day setting a new query to her lips.

  "I'm guessing the games are officially off, pending further notice? For today at least?" she asked.

  Dom looked to the window, his eyes surrounded by dark circles. The light that was shining on him wasn't painting a flattering picture. Though, he still looked mightily handsome to Kira's eyes. It would take more than a few restless nights to change that.

  "I'd guess so," he yawned. "I'll go speak with Claud and find out what the latest news is. Wait here. I'll be back."

  He stood up gingerly and meandered off through the villa, leaving Kira alone. Her eyes were heavy too, and she took the opportunity to set them to rest. Shutting them, she sat back into her soft armchair and let her mind drift away.

  Within what appeared to be a millisecond, Dom was marching back into the room. Kira's eyes snapped open. She must have fallen asleep.

  She found Dom smiling at her.

  "It's OK. You can sleep for a little bit," he said softly. "It appears the games are officially off for the day, pending new developments. I've never seen so much interference with the schedule. First the storm, now all of this. I wish my mother would just abandon the whole thing."

  "Do you, though?" came Kira's voice through a yawn. She covered her mouth and blinked several times. "I mean, the games are a distraction, just like Southside. If she's just locked away in the palace, it'll be harder to get to her."

  "True. But, I was thinking about you, Kira. If the games were cancelled, then you wouldn't have to go back out there."

  He moved towards her and sat down.

  "There's something else you should know. I told no one this but Rufus. It's partly why things are so urgent, from my perspective at least."

  Kira sat up from her lazy position. She could sense the tension in Dom's voice.

  "What? What is it?"

  Dom drew a breath.

  "It's nothing for you to worry about. I just thought you should know. It's my mother. She has a girl called Julia living with her at the summit of the palace. A surrogate for her new son and heir. The child will be born within weeks, maybe days, and when he is, I'll be fully disowned, and my position as heir taken from me. My mother says I'll be forced into exile right after."

  "She'd do that?! To her own son?"

  "You sound surprised. You shouldn't be."
<
br />   "Well, I suppose. So this is why you're supporting Southside, and standing up to her?"

  "That's part of the whole, complex mess. It's everything, really. I've shirked my responsibility to this city for far too long. My mother's always wished for me to step up, you know, follow in her footsteps. But, I've been afraid to do so, to be corrupted by the power I'd hold, just as she's been. It's ironic, really, that now I'm finally doing what I need to. Only, it's not for her, but against."

  "And it's the right thing," said Kira, taking his hand. "It's never too late to do the right thing, Dom."

  "It won't take away what I've done. But, hopefully I'll be able to do some good. I won't have her banish me and create the legacy she wants. Neorome will wither and die under her rule."

  "Not if we can help it, right?" said Kira, smiling. The light was more favourable to her. It lit her green eyes. Dom couldn't escape them.

  He stared for a moment at her, unable to turn away. He felt a deep longing to draw her in, her hand still lightly holding his. Several long moments passed, and gradually their lips drew close. The skin touched, a connection that drew shivers.

  But it lasted only a second.

  It was a noise that broke the spell, coming from down in the yard. Several voices lifted, drawing both of their attention to the window. Dom stood quickly, and rushed over, his eyes piercing the blacked out windows and searching for the source.

  He looked out into the misty morning and saw the towering shape of Ares at the gate, flanked by several of his subordinates in the Imperial Guard. Behind him, a carriage was just about visible, though not the one Dom might expect.

  "What is it? What's going on?" asked Kira, trying to look too.

  "It's...Ares," whispered Dom.

  "Ares! Is the Empress there too?!"

  Dom shook his head, curious.

  "I don't think so. It's not her carriage."

  "What then? Have they come to attack?"

  Dom was still inspecting the scene. The gate remained closed, Ares behind it. He was speaking calmly with several of Dom's guards. Then Claudius rushed out to address him, bowing respectfully as he approached.