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A Gladiator's Dilemma

Page 5

by Oliver Ma

gladiator who

  lost a battle. ”Bloody Heracles“ had funded the game to please the

  public in order to be elected as senator. He has the final say about

  the fates of the gladiators in the arena.

  The gladiators swore to“Bloody Heracles”and the crowd,

  “We who are about to die salutes to you. ”

  The white sand was spotless. Eric glanced at the crowd and

  sawbloodthirsty men placing bets, women waving at their favorite

  gladiators, and children staring at him.

  At 9:30, trees were set up and hunters armed with simple

  spears tracked down leopards. All morning, hunters threw spears

  at leopards who tried to sneak up on them. In the end, all 10

  hunters were killed and 3 out of the 10 leopards remained. The

  crowd booed angrily. “Bloody Heracles” hurled javelins and killed

  the leopards.

  At 11:00, the duel started.

  Zing, dressed in a swordsman’s armor, a shield, and a

  broadsword, trooped onto the battlefield.

  His opponent, Vermin, armed with a polearm and a small

  shield, marched on too. Vermin was a man of 21. He was tall and

  strong. He had golden hair and seemed agile.

  Zing tried to block Vermin’s attacks. It was useless. But Vermin

  was unable to pierce Zing’s upper chest. Vermin clumsily

  leapt out of Zing’s way when Zing tried to strike. It was a deadlock

  until Vermin launched an over stab. Zing leapt back, but

  wasn’t fast enough to step out of his next move, an overall wide

  swinging arc. Zing fell after a powerful blow from Vermin and lay

  on the dust. Vermin moved in for the kill, then he brought his

  deadly polearmdown.

  Suddenly, Zing sprang up;parrying the deadly thrust of his

  enemy and then drove his sword forward with all his might. It

  passed Vermin’s belly armor and drove inside the man’s chest.

  Vermin buckled. Some from the crowd cheered as the red spray of

  blood painted the arena sand.

  Vermin had won many battles before and was a famous gladiator.

  Many of the crowd were so excited they hurled gold at the

  combatants.

  Slowly, Vermin stood up, and stated to run. Zing, in his heavy

  armor, ran after him. Vermin dropped his polearm to lighten his

  load and ran on, leaving a trail of blood behind him. The daily 10

  miles march paid off. They ran along the great arena three times,

  encouraged by the cheering of the crowd. Although Vermin

  was dying, he was beating Zing in the footrace since he had

  little armor.

  Suddenly Zing had an idea. He picked up Vermin’s polearm

  and hurled it with the last of his youthful strength. It bit into Vermin’s

  shoulder, and Vermin fell. He was trying to get up again

  when Zing sprang upon him. He was defeated, and his moment of

  glory was up.

  With one foot on Vermin’s quivering back, Zing raised his

  sword in the air. He was victorious. With a thumb down from

  “Bloody Heracles”, Vermin was to be killed. Zing, with regret,

  brought his sword down on Vermin’s heart. Vermin’s brown eyes

  stared at“Bloody Heracles”and soon died.

  The body disposer came with red hot iron and drove it at Vermin’back.

  When the body didn’t flinch, he gathered Vermin’s

  arms, took the body by the ankles, and went out of sight.

  Zing was beaming with pride. He was the winner. Men showered

  himwith gold and ladies gazed adorably at him.

  He climbed out of the arena and was met by Eric and Jan.

  Both of themadmitted this was a close battle.

  “I didn’t think you would win that one,”said Jan.

  “I’mbeginning to feel weak in the knee”,

  joked Eric.

  More combats followed and would last all day. The workers

  rolled a machine on the marble floor, cleaning it of blood. New

  sands were piled.

  The next round was between Eric and Jimmy.

  Eric walked into the center of the field. His heart pounded.

  He had prayed to Mars, the great God of War. He wasn’t afraid.

  He was just nervous.

  His opponent, Jimmy walked on too. Jimmy was barely 16. It

  wouldn’t do any good to have him a swordsman. Jimmy was a

  marksman.

  The battle began.

  Jimmy pulled his bow. Tang, Tang. Eric easily blocked them.

  Jimmy, with no armor at all, turned and fled. Eric followed. Jimmy

  seemed slow. As Eric drew nearer, Jimmy turned back and fired.

  Eric moved his shield in place and drove forward. Then he heard

  an empty‘Dong’, but no arrowcame out Jimmy’s bow.

  “Yes”, thought Eric and followed,“Jimmy must be out of arrows.

  ”Eric threw his shield down to lighten his load, a fatal decision.

  Jimmy was secretly loading his last arrow. As Eric drew

  nearer, Jimmy turned and fired. He was disturbed by the roaring of

  the crowd. The arrowflew, and hit into Eric’s shoulder blade.

  Eric dropped his sword. The pain was intense. He peered at

  the crowd and saw Siri shouting warnings at him. Then he saw

  Jimmy charging for his fallen sword. Eric grabbed the sword before

  Jimmy could reach it, and flung it like a dagger. It aimed true

  and pierced Jimmy’s leg.

  Jimmy grimaced in pain as he tried to pull the sword out. He totally

  forgot about Eric. While Eric did it for him, the boy felt an in

  tense pain and rolled over. Blood sputtered everywhere. Jimmy faint-

  ed on the battlefield, his leg bleeding. The whites and was red again.

  Eric, believing Jimmy was dead, walked off.

  The disposer man came again with red hot iron and drove it at

  Jimmy’s side, but the youth reared up in pain. He was still alive.

  Eric was ordered to cut Jimmy’s throat. He closed his eyes

  and tried to miss.

  Then Jimmy told him in a whisper, “If you ever know me,

  then please…kill me.”

  Eric couldn’t look into his eyes. “I’m sorry for this”, he said,

  tremble in his voice.

  Then, Eric stepped up and cut at Jimmy’s throat. Jimmy

  raised head at the blow, and his head rolled clean off onto the

  sand.

  Jimmy was dead.

  The disposer man came again and sizzled Jimmy’s flesh.

  Jimmy didn’t flinch. So the man rolled Jimmy into the disposer

  chamber.

  At lunch, Eric tried to find Zing and Jan, but it was not an

  easy job. Gladiators were arriving from all around the Roman Republic

  for the last fight, the group fight. There were people everywhere.

  To his surprise, Durum found him first.

  “Come with me. ”He said in a friendly tone. Eric followed,

  the arrow still on his shoulder. Durum told him to wait at the entrance

  of the arena.

  Eric went to the entrance. Agirl with black hair came.

  “Oh Eric, I’m so glad you survived.”

  Then Siri saw the arrow.

  “You’re hurt. ”

  Grimacing in pain now that he realized it, he tried to pull the

  hook-like arrowout. It was stuck fast.

  Zing and Jan came running toward them. Before Eric could

  do anything, Zing had pulled the arrow out of Eric’s shoulder. Siri

  was heart broken when she saw blood bleeding. Eri
c grimaced

  while Siri bandaged him.

  Zing said“, Jan’s going to fight Hanford afternoon.”Hansford

  was an 18-year-old Germanic boy.

  In the afternoon, Jan met Hanford and a fierce swordfight

  started. The two were one clump as sword flashed in the air. When

  the two swordsmen backed off after what seemed like hours, both

  were wounded.

  Grimily, Hanford thought of a trick. He suddenly used his

  shield and hit Jan on the forehead. Jan fell back and rolled down

  the slope of the arena. Hanford followed. With one ankle on Jan’s

  throat, he declared himself the victor.

  The majority of the crowed favored Jan to die.

  With a deadly thrust, Hanford planted his sword into Jan’s

  chest. It sank in but missed Jan’s heart. With a cry, Jan pushed his

  saber at Hanford’s chest in return. It sank into Hanford’s lung but

  also missed Hanford’s heart. With a cry, Hansford fell back.

  Jan got up too late to catch him. Hanford ran for his life but

  all effort was in vain. He was dying. Soon, he halted and fell to the

  ground, too weak to run.

  In seconds, Jan was on him. Feet on Hanford’s throat, he

  tried to declare himself the victor. With the last of his strength,

  Hanford pushed his sword at Jan’s ankle. It hit Jan but wasn’t enough

  to cut through. Ignoring the intense pain, Jan knocked Hanford

  out with the butt of his sword.

  The crowed favored Hanford to die. Jan pushed his sword into

  the unconscious Hanford. Hanford’s limbs reared up from the

  impact then fell limp.

  Jan limped out of the arena, blood oozing out of his ankle and

  chest. After the medics treated his chest, bandaged his many

  wounds, and drugged him, they sent Jan to his room.

  As combats raged outside, Eric and Zing visited Jan to prepare

  him for when the drug wore off. Jan asked them to bury him

  good if he died. Chances were, he might not live through another

  battle.

  “If you die”,“

  Eric told him”, we would make sure you get

  sent back to Carthage“. So it was decided.

  The next day, Eric met someone who made his heart light up.

  It was Hector, his lost friend captured at the bank of Spain.

  The four friends prepared themselves for the hunting group

  fight that will follow. The battle would feature 100 swordsmen,

  100 marksmen, 100 heavy axmen and mace men, 100 halberdiers,

  50 cavalry and 1 Roman commander, on each side.

  Siri came to see Eric in the

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