The Gladiator's Downfall

by Kristen Banet

  “When we’re out of the Empire, I’ll help you rehabilitate them,” the old male promised.

  “Are you a healer?” she asked, still not sure the old male in front of her was a warrior like the others in the Company. The rest looked and seemed like they fit in with this idea of mercenaries. Leshaun didn’t.

  “I’m a soldier who has seen enough battle to know all the tricks. That’s put me in somewhat of a healer position,” he explained. “I was a strong help for the healers during the War, and learned much. I’m also one of the last fully trained Blackbloods left free, which is handy.”

  “So you can fight.”

  “Don’t be fooled by his age, little miss.” Bryn grinned. “He’s a wily old man with a sword. He can take any of us down when his knees don’t hurt. Luckily, his knees always hurt.” With that, the rogue winked.

  “Well, boy, your knees will hurt when you’re my age too. You take that youthful arrogance somewhere else.”

  Everyone laughed as Leshaun tried to swat Bryn, who darted away to help Nevyn and Varon with some ropes.

  Mave just stood mystified by the friendly exchange. In the pits, bad knees meant the gladiator would find himself alone. No one wanted to befriend an old male who was going to die on the sands, no matter what other knowledge he might hold. Here, they still knew Leshaun was useful, and they cared for him. That was obvious.

  Except maybe Alchan, who made her wonder if free Andinna were really so much different from the gladiators she’d known.

  As the boat moved, she continued standing with Matesh, and they were joined by Rain, just watching the forest move past them. She felt like she could taste freedom, so close that it hung in the air around her. She was already enamoured with the idea of never seeing the dark, cold, wet tunnels that had been her home for nine hundred years.

  She felt like she was free already.

  26

  Brynec

  “Brynec, keep your eyes out for scouts or soldiers on this side as we move through the fork,” Alchan ordered as he walked by. “Rainev is watching the other side.”

  “Aye,” he replied, his eyes glued to the forests on his side of the boat. His mind wandered, though, where his eyes didn’t. Another slave on the boat. He had heard the stories of her for centuries. He’d always known she was real, his fellow slaves hoping to one day meet the ‘Elvasi-loyal bitch’ on the sands of the Colosseum.

  He was sad to admit he’d once thought the same thing. He’d even held onto that hate for years after his freedom. Looking back, it was an angry mindset, and a wrong one. He’d let go of that hate centuries ago, when he had a different perspective on the slaves he’d known and the slave he’d been. But, having been like that - the type of male who’d hate a female like that - he was ashamed. I’ll carry that shame for the rest of mah life, I think.

  And now he’d met her.

  She was a curious thing, for sure. He could feel the dominant and stubborn streak underneath her insecurity. And insecure she was. That was obvious as well. She was so out of her league. He could sympathize. Suddenly being free, not knowing where one stood, it was a scary thing, even for the strongest Andinna.

  Varon stepped into his vision and began to sign. He watched those hands spell out several things. “You look lost in thought. Thinking about the Champion? You probably understand what she’s going through better than most.”

  “Ya know too much. That’s exactly what I was thinkin’ about.” He signed back to the mute, not wanting to voice his thoughts.

  “You should talk to her. It might help her come out of her shell. We can all tell she’s out of place and somewhat confused by what’s going on.”

  “I don’t think it’s confusion. I think it’s uncertainty.” He was certain her mind was going quickly, processing every new thing they threw at her. He didn’t think she was confused about the situation, and when new information was presented to her, she had the balls to ask for an explanation. “I know the feelin’ of being a slave for so long that freedom isn’t even a wish. It’s not even a thought. It’s not a possibility to be acknowledged. Now she doesn’t know what she’s going to do with herself. Her mind is probably full of the fear of endless possibilities.”

  Varon nodded at that and looked out over the forest with him. Nevyn walked up later, his arms wrapping around Varon’s waist in a slow, possessive way. Bryn chuckled. The two couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They had been that way for as long as he’d known them.

  “How are you?” Nevyn asked Varon softly, who signed a quick ‘good’ to him. “I brought your bow and quiver over. I figured if Bryn sees anything, you can take it out without any problem.”

  “Good idea,” Bryn agreed softly, his eyes still searching the darkness of the shoreline. As they entered the fork of the river, where a large secondary branch entered the Myriar River, the shoreline was further and further away. “I’m goin’ to ask a stupid question. Can ya make a shot from here, Varon?”

  “That is a stupid question,” Nevyn teased lightly. Varon nodded confidently. Bryn figured, but he didn’t want to assume anything. Even after four hundred years with the Company, he always asked to make sure someone could do as they said they could. It was part of his distrustful nature. He’d met many Andinna who claimed they could do this or that, and most were dead for it, failing to be as good as they claimed.

  He saw other ships as they entered the large area of the river and cursed angrily. He knew those flags. There were soldiers in the river, stopping boats for searches. That wasn’t good. Their entire deck was covered in Andinna, including one with white wings that could be seen for miles.

  “Alchan,” he called softly.

  “I see them,” their militaristic leader called back.

  “We have two options,” Luykas pondered. “Keep the sails hoisted and use the wind to fly through them, or try to sneak through with the cover of darkness.”

  “I say we blow through them. Sneaking means we can still get caught and not be prepared to move quickly.” Alchan crossed his arms, considering the crowd at the river fork.

  “I like that too. We should get everyone non-essential below. That means you, Mave.” Luykas pointed at the female. Bryn’s eyes fell on her. She nodded professionally and he saw her hand twitch, as if searching for a blade at her waist that wasn’t there.

  He knew what she wanted. To fight if needed. He knew the need to kill their captors at every possibility. He couldn’t resist the urge himself. It was his favorite thing to do. He was going to stay on the deck, just in case he got the chance.

  It made his own hands twitch with excitement. Just the thought of slaughtering some skeevy, pointed-ear Elvasi soldiers brought him joy.

  He watched as the ones rescued went below. He was glad Matesh and Rain were going to sit this out if they could. They needed to not get recaptured, and to rest. He knew the way of the gladiators in the Empire.

  He wished he could have told them more before they had been taken. It was a time he didn’t really like talking about, but he wished he’d said more. Maybe it would have helped them. He hoped to catch them later and talk to them, once they were out of the Empire. He was smaller like Rainev, and knew the troubles that came from being smaller than the average male. He really should have spoken to the young male already, checked on him.

  Skies, I hope that boy didn’t go through what I went through at his age.

  “Bryn, get out of your head,” Nevyn whispered. “We’re on guard. They sent Leshaun below too.”

  Bryn nodded. He looked at who stayed above. Their leaders, Alchan and Luykas. Varon and Nevyn. And him.

  “We’re runnin’ on low numbers,” he mumbled, looking back out at the ships that hadn’t noticed them yet. They were in a small boat, using the cloak of night to cover them, but once they were moving through, they would be noticed.

  “We can manage. We’ve had worse odds.”

  “Have we? We’ve never been smugglin’ the Empress’ property before. This is a group
of soldiers trying to please their Empress, not just protect their law.” Bryn knew there was a difference. Elvasi were possessive over what they believed was theirs, and they were also completely loyal to their royal family, to the point of extremism.

  “Let’s move,” Alchan ordered.

  Luykas murmured an incantation and a strong wind hit the boat. It was powerful magic. Bryn could smell the blood Luykas spilled to make it that strong. The sails caught the wind and they were off.

  “Everyone get bows and be ready to pick off soldiers as we go. Anyone who lays eyes on us needs to go down, hopefully before they call for aid.”

  Bryn ran for a chest near the door and pulled out a bow. He tossed a second to Nevyn. Luykas was right behind him, panting softly.

  “Foolish to mix sorcery with blood magic,” Bryn commented lightly. It was actually against Andinna law, not that he gave a damn about that. He just knew mixing the two was dangerous stuff.

  “It makes me one of the strongest magic users in the known world. I have to use the advantages I have. You trying to berate me for it?” Luykas’ tone turned harsh at the end and Bryn shook his head.

  “No, but Leshaun will if he learns. He’s all about that taboo shit and followin’ the ways of our people.”

  “Why do you think I sent him below with the rest?”

  “Smart thinkin’.” Bryn chuckled, grabbing a quiver of arrows. They were speeding closer to the soldiers and their boats with every second he wasted, but he couldn’t bring himself to be serious. He loved combat and he had a feeling the night was going to get just as rowdy as he liked it.

  “Everyone, at the ready,” Alchan called.

  Bryn pulled an arrow and nocked it, ready. He was using a short bow, hoping to take closer targets, while Nevyn and Varon were near him, each with longbows. Luykas was also using a short bow.

  His eyes landed on the closest ship, and heard the thwack of an arrow let loose. Varon nocked a second as Bryn watched a soldier fall over the edge of his boat, into the dark and deep waters of the river.

  Yeah, he’d asked a very stupid question earlier.

  He heard a soldier cry out and spun to look at another boat. He released the arrow and watched the soldier tumble into the river.

  They entered into the fleet and they all began loosing arrows, watching soldiers drop and alarms get raised. There would have been no way for them to sneak through this, so Bryn just used it as a chance to kill a few soldiers who would only try to kill him later in a boarding attempt.

  “Luykas, how long is the wind going to last?” Alchan called out, steering the boat through their potential blockers.

  “Until we get away from the fork, at least,” his brother answered.

  Bryn continued to take out whoever he could from his position. The boat rocked as another got too close.

  “Board them!” a soldier roared in Elvasi. Bryn bared his teeth and shot the soldier who said it. They couldn’t stop the plank from hitting their deck, though, as the other boat was now in the winds that Luykas had drawn up for them, racing side by side.

  “Kick it off!” Alchan screamed out from behind the wheel. Nevyn beat Bryn to it, pushing the plank into the river and letting a couple of soldiers fall down with it. Bryn took the opportunity to shoot the man behind the other boat’s wheel. It veered off and crashed into another boat without anyone steering it.

  “Good fucking hit!” Nevyn yelled, laughing with an indescribable pleasure. Bryn grinned in return. “Also, good fucking idea. Maybe we can screw with them that way.”

  “Find sorcerers and hit them too!” Luykas ordered. “We don’t need any more magic in the mix, and they have probably already been sending word down the river about our location.”

  “Fuckin’ hell,” Bryn groaned. “We’re basically fighting their entire damn Navy as it is!”

  “Well, we fucking asked for it,” Luykas retorted.

  They had. Bryn couldn’t argue with that. He went back to his duty until he ran out of arrows. Thankfully, none of the other boats had gotten close enough to attempt to board as they broke through the other side of the small fleet and began to leave the fork behind. A groan was the only thing he heard that spelled trouble.

  “Who got hit?” he demanded, turning around to see his friends.

  “I did,” Nevyn sighed. He pointed to an arrow through his wing. “Not the worst injury, but an annoying one.”

  “Get it out, ya damn idiot,” he snapped. Damn, he’d hoped they had gotten lucky and sped through too fast for the archers to get a shot.

  “I’m fucking working on it!” Nevyn waited for Varon to bring a small dagger and cut the arrow in half, then slid it out of his wing. It left a small hole that would scar, but Bryn knew it wouldn’t ruin his ability to fly once it healed.

  “We’re being followed, so stay ready. Luckily, we’re not going to be flying much here in the Empire. It’s too much of a risk.” Luykas looked over the wound with Nevyn. “Anyone else out of arrows?”

  “I am,” Bryn spoke up, holding up his empty quiver. “So is Varon.”

  “Fuck,” Alchan snapped. “They won’t catch up soon; everyone just stay on alert.”

  “How much further to Myrsten?” Nevyn asked softly. “This is going to get messy since they know we’re on our way there.”

  “We could abandon the boat and walk,” Luykas offered, looking up to his brother as he said it. “It’s an option.”

  “The woods will just mean battles on foot. We knew this was fucking stupid and we’d get into some fights. It was only a matter of time.” Alchan was worried, Bryn could hear it.

  “We’ve been in worse places,” he reassured them. “Remember that time in-”

  “We don’t talk about that,” Alchan cut him off, growling. “They’re following. We need to keep speed and hope to board our way out before they cause more drama.”

  “Could be worse,” Luykas reminded them. “I’m going to let them up here and have them prepped to be boarded and to move fast when we hit the bay at Myrsten. Better safe than sorry.”

  “Good idea,” Alchan agreed softly. “Can you give us more wind after that?”

  Luykas stilled. Bryn worried now. That level of magic was taxing, and repeating it so quickly would really exhaust Luykas, who was their most experienced with offensive magic, thanks to his sorcery.

  “I can try, brother.”

  “That’s all I ask.”

  Bryn looked back to the boats following them. The night had become rowdy, all right. He secretly couldn’t wait to see if the Champion Maevana Lorren was as good as they said. He hoped she got in on the action.

  Some part of him would always just be a gladiator.

  27

  Mave

  “Everyone down here arm up and get ready. We had a lot of action upstairs and we’re expecting it’s only going to get uglier,” Luykas commanded.

  Mave had sat tense in the dining area the entire time. They had heard Alchan’s roared orders, even grabbing blades when they’d heard there was a boarding attempt. Matesh held them all downstairs, though, as a last resort.

  She hadn’t liked it, but she’d listened. He’d been right earlier in this wild journey toward freedom. He’d trusted her in the pits, and she needed to trust him here. So she did. She’d waited down below deck with them, sword in hand.

  Community trusts each other, so I must trust them if I want a place. Or at least, trust Matesh and Rain. This is just an extension of that.

  “Are you letting us come up?” Leshaun asked. “I’m not going to sit down here all night.”

  “Yeah. Get armor on, and weapons. We’ll need the blades if we get boarded in the bay.” Luykas’ eyes fell on her. “Rainev’s or Brynec’s stuff should fit you. There’s a few extra sets of armor in one of the rooms.” He closed the door on them at that point and they all began scrambling into the small rooms in the hall.

  Rainev opened a chest and pulled out two sets of simple leather armor, throwing her one. She got it nea
rly on until she couldn’t reach the straps that needed to wrap her waist. She got frustrated with it, not understanding how Rainev got it on so quickly. It wasn’t like the armor she wore as a gladiator.

  “I got you,” her little brother murmured, wrapping it. “Real Andinna armor needs you to be able to move your wings so you can buckle it here in the front, but you shouldn’t be moving yours right now. If you need anything, just ask. No reason to get mad about it.” He grinned when it was buckled. “The armor they gave gladiators, or didn’t, in Matesh’s case, isn’t suitable for us. It’s not well made or very protective. It’s a lazy Elvasi design to work their armor around our wings. Skies, though, most Andinna males prefer to fight without chest armor anyway. Pants…those are always required.”

  “So we don’t fight in the loincloths I would see them in. Of course.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and Rain laughed. “Are you excited about this?”

  “This is what being an Ivory Shadow is. Harebrained schemes that lead to trouble. I mean, sure, Alchan and Luykas are great military minds and would be leading armies if Anden hadn’t fallen but…they have a wild side to them, even if they don’t seem like it right now. They take on things bigger than we really should.” Rainev was still grinning as he handed her two short swords, sheaths attached to a belt. She put it on as he continued to arm himself and talk. “This is the stuff I’ve heard stories about growing up. If you ever get the chance, ask about-”

  “We do not talk about that mission,” Matesh growled as he walked in. She glanced at him and her eyebrows felt like they were going to run off her forehead. He was in perfectly-fitted leather pants, slightly padded for protection, and the same shirt he’d been wearing. A long, curved sword rested at his waist. The breeches looked very good on him, she decided. “Ever.”

  “Fine!” Rainev laughed. “Let’s get up there.” He pushed out of the room, getting around Matesh the hard way. Mave stood there with him for a moment, though.