He untangled his net from where it had been loosely tied around his arm. It was a mistake, he knew. He always made the same mistake. He remembered the Doctore drilling it into him from a child. Don't unwind your net until you're going to throw it boy, you don't want them to see it coming.
He huffed lightly behind his visor, his grey eyes squinting against the sun that shone through the bars. He could hear the roaring of the growd, the hammering of their feet as another corpse was dragged form the sands. He flexed his powerful shoulders, shifting slightly to find the most comfortable way for the armor to lay. He could feel the leather biting into his skin, and he knew that he had done them up too tightly.
He licked his dry lips as the gates were lifted, his own breath coming in hot pants that blasted back against his face, finding it hard to escape the helmet that he could barely see from. He shifted his shield on his arm, flexed his fingers around the haft of his spear and walked to the center of the arena.
One of the lions from the previous bought hadn't been killed and it roared in pain and frustration at the two men that turned towards the crowd and raised their weapons in a roar of their own. Cassius swallowed down his fear, let it compact into a glittering jewel of fury, let it be his killing intent.
when their salute was over, he carefully backed away from the other gladiator. He saw the low stance, how his shield was loose and knew a feint when he saw one. He jabbed high, forcing the gladiator to snap up his shield, hiding his vision from the net that Cassius swung from his shield arm, watching as the heavy weights tangled the man.
It was a simple thing, to take a life. At first, Cassius had been scared. Had felt sick with the blood that had dripped onto him at the end of the bought. Now, he rose his spear to the proprieter in his salute, and he looked down to the other gladiator, saw how his skin trembled and he knew there was fear in him.
He placed his spearpoint against the man's heart, his words barely heard over the screaming din of the crowd.
"Be brave in the afterlife."
With a hard thrust down, his job was done. He retrieved his spear, roaring as he hoisted the blooded point above his head and the crowd roared back. He watched as the arena slaves came forward, watched their meat hooks on chains dig into the flesh of the man he had just killed, watched as the skin grew taught before dragging the lifeless corspe along the sands. He had seen many friends leave the sands like that.
He shook off whatever he was feeling, licking his dry lips as he walked back into the darkness of the underbelly of the arena, preparing to be shackled to be taken back to his home ludus. He wondered if his Dominus would allow him a sip of wine.
He huffed lightly behind his visor, his grey eyes squinting against the sun that shone through the bars. He could hear the roaring of the growd, the hammering of their feet as another corpse was dragged form the sands. He flexed his powerful shoulders, shifting slightly to find the most comfortable way for the armor to lay. He could feel the leather biting into his skin, and he knew that he had done them up too tightly.
He licked his dry lips as the gates were lifted, his own breath coming in hot pants that blasted back against his face, finding it hard to escape the helmet that he could barely see from. He shifted his shield on his arm, flexed his fingers around the haft of his spear and walked to the center of the arena.
One of the lions from the previous bought hadn't been killed and it roared in pain and frustration at the two men that turned towards the crowd and raised their weapons in a roar of their own. Cassius swallowed down his fear, let it compact into a glittering jewel of fury, let it be his killing intent.
when their salute was over, he carefully backed away from the other gladiator. He saw the low stance, how his shield was loose and knew a feint when he saw one. He jabbed high, forcing the gladiator to snap up his shield, hiding his vision from the net that Cassius swung from his shield arm, watching as the heavy weights tangled the man.
It was a simple thing, to take a life. At first, Cassius had been scared. Had felt sick with the blood that had dripped onto him at the end of the bought. Now, he rose his spear to the proprieter in his salute, and he looked down to the other gladiator, saw how his skin trembled and he knew there was fear in him.
He placed his spearpoint against the man's heart, his words barely heard over the screaming din of the crowd.
"Be brave in the afterlife."
With a hard thrust down, his job was done. He retrieved his spear, roaring as he hoisted the blooded point above his head and the crowd roared back. He watched as the arena slaves came forward, watched their meat hooks on chains dig into the flesh of the man he had just killed, watched as the skin grew taught before dragging the lifeless corspe along the sands. He had seen many friends leave the sands like that.
He shook off whatever he was feeling, licking his dry lips as he walked back into the darkness of the underbelly of the arena, preparing to be shackled to be taken back to his home ludus. He wondered if his Dominus would allow him a sip of wine.