A Sword of Wrath, Book I: Blood and Dust by K. E. MacLeod - HTML preview

Chapter Six

The day of the munus had arrived and Odalia's white walls shone like the sun that bore down upon the spectators lining the seats of the Amphitheater. Nearly twenty thousand people from every district in the capital filled the stands and such a wave of excitement roared through them that no outsider would ever suspect that any rumors of civil unrest could ever be true.

The day had begun with all of the pomp and circumstance that the White Palace could muster, beginning with a parade led from the Palace steps by the Emperor Tiberius himself riding upon a resplendent chariot. Following his chariot was a mass of beasts, exotic wildlife and performers the likes of which the Empire had never seen: hippopotamuses and ostriches from Southern Noba, trained monkeys and bears with strange black and white markings from the Land of the Golden Men and giant, horned ox-like beasts from the furthest reaches of the Hairy Men's tundra. Rounding out the parade at the end were the crowd's favorites, the gladiators, dressed in their full armor as Euric, Felix and Castor led them in the processional.

As Juko plodded along beside Kai, T'tembo and the others, he could think of no other time in his life when he had felt more uncomfortable than he did right then, dressed head to toe in colorful plumage and scale-like armor. The bright color patterns of the dyed feathers that lined his costume armor were offensive to his eyes and had surely been created in the imagination of someone who had never even seen the N'bari traditional dress. But still, the crowds gasped as he walked by, their gasps soon evolving into riotous cheers and applause as they began to shout out, "Kabaakia! Kabaakia! Kabaakia!" A bastardized version of the N'bari word for 'Chieftain,' that was the name that Euric had given him as part of the backstory he had secretly spread around the capital.

When the parade had at last arrived in the Amphitheater, the wealthy citizens of Odalia entered the structure first and took their seats upon the lowest tier of the stands, followed by the less wealthy citizens and the next until, at the very top stood the poorest of all Lycania's citizens. Most of the lowest class attendees were from the Ala District and had been enticed to attend the munus by both the free seating and the promise of free bread loaves to be handed out later - a state-sponsored charity rite that was frequently performed to appease the gods.

The Emperor and his son, flanked by the Centurion and the Decanus and surrounded by his special guard, arrived in the royal seating box that was located in the center front of the stands. In the box, Tiberius remained standing as a pageboy appeared beside him and presented the Emperor with a laurel wreath resting upon a pillow. He then took the wreath and cast it into the dust of the arena and as it landed, the crowd cried out a huge cheer and the munus was officially opened. Tiberius then took his seat and motioned for the Orator to begin.

The Orator nodded and took his place below the Emperor's box, which allowed him to be heard throughout the entire Amphitheater. He welcomed everyone as he ushered in the opening ceremonies. "Greetings, citizens of Lycania! Welcome to the Emperor's Munus!" The crowd cheered madly as Tiberius covered his eyes and flinched from the headache that had been steadily growing all morning.

The Orator continued, "This munus is quite a special one as it honors the death of a very important man!" He flung his hand into the direction of the large double doors on the floor of the right side of the arena from where all things entered the Amphitheater. As the doors opened, a line of musicians entered playing a ceremonious tune while following them were a trio of slaves, each carrying a pike in their hands. Resting upon each pike were the heads of Lord Heron, his wife and their adolescent son, Antonius, and upon the sight of them, the residents of the Ala District that lined the uppermost seats shouted and screamed, horrified by the scene before them.

The Orator ignored them and continued speaking, "Join me, citizens of Lycania, in giving our respects to Lord Heron and his family!" The lower tiers began to laugh as the upper tiers grew angrier and shouted down at them.

"Let this be a lesson," the Orator continued, "do not betray your Emperor!"

The slaves then placed the pikes into the ground around the arena so that they would be on display during the entire munus. Once they had finished their task, they exited and the animal trainers entered with their display of unusual animals. Spurius sat on the edge of his seat and excitedly pointed out to everyone nearby the ostriches, bears, zebras and leopards that jumped and leapt around to the songs of the musicians. After the performing animals were finished, next came the dancers - a group of young men and women who depicted in an uninhibited naked dance the ancient story of the birth of the Two Brothers.

As the noon hour drew near, the Orator announced the next act on the schedule, "Citizens of Lycania, before you take up your midday meal upon the grounds, I implore you to wait a bit longer in your seats as we witness the perfect justice of the Emperor unfold before our eyes!"

The gates opened again and the Emperor's guards were seen shoving an unwilling group of men and women into the arena. They were dressed in the gray tunics that denoted them as criminals and their hands and feet chained.

"Here, my friends, are the latest traitors to have had the audacity to break the Emperor's gods-given laws! Look at them in their shame!" he pointed at the condemned as they huddled together in the center. "Eight men and four women. All who have flaunted their arrogance to our beloved Emperor! What were their crimes, you ask? Why the worship of the Sun God, the War God and the Ancient God! Stare upon their arrogance and be wise, Lycanians! For they have rebuked the Two Brothers! But, will their gods save them now?" He laughed heartily, "If not then may the Two Brothers shower them with their omnipresent mercy and give them quick and easy deaths!"

The cage doors were opened and four male lions were let loose upon the frightened prisoners. Half of them attempted to flee by running up to the sides of the arena and jumping to see if they could reach the top edge of the walls. As they reached out their hands to those sitting above them, the wealthy citizenry of Lycania simply laughed them off, kicking away the hands of any that had actually managed to reach the edge. As the attendees in the higher seats watched this, they grew even angrier and demanded that the people pull them up but their protestations fell upon deaf ears.

Eventually, after only five of the unwilling participants had been mauled and eaten, the lions grew tired and, to everyone's amazement, simply lay down upon the ground with no more interest in the other humans huddling together in fear in the arena. Tiberius, himself weary of the monotony of watching the reclining lions, sent word to his guards to execute the remaining prisoners.

As the animal trainers led the lions out of the arena, the Orator announced, "Now we will have a small intermission. Enjoy your meals, Lycanians, for when this break is done, the gladiatorial will games begin! Starting with the debut of the arena's newest star: Kabaakia the N'bari warrior, whose family was murdered by those dastardly Bestials, the Golden Men! Today, my friends, will he get his revenge?"

Tiberius groaned and placed a hand to his head.

Spurius looked at his father, "Do you want me to get the medicus, Father?"

"No, no, my son. The gods are just speaking to me, that is all. But their voices," he grimaced, "they hurt my head at times."

Spurius went back to his gleeful enjoyment of the games as he looked up at the Decanus standing next to their seats, "I can't wait for Kabaakia! He’s supposed to be amazing!"

"I have to admit, I, too, am looking forward to his performance as well. In fact, we still have plenty of time before the fight, would you like to go and meet him?" the Decanus asked, unapologetically seeking favor with the Emperor.

Spurius looked expectantly at his father, who shook his head behind his hand, "I would rather he didn't leave my side. There are many snakes about today."

"But that's not fair!" Spurius sat back roughly, glowering as he kicked at the cement balustrade before him.

"Ah, my son," Tiberius smiled wanly, "one day you will understand - when you rule after I am gone from this world, you will see that there are always snakes beneath your feet."

Still Spurius sat there and still he glowered.

Despite the pain that roared through his head, Tiberius hated to see his son upset and so asked, "Would you like to hold my sword?"

As expected, the young prince brightened almost instantly, "Could I?"

"Yes, my son, of course. It will be yours one day as well."

He carefully removed the sword and its sheath from around his waist and handed it to the boy.

Spurious stared at it with delight as he looked upon its silver and jeweled sheath. He then pulled the sword out slightly, turning it so that the sun glinted off of the double-tempered Icanthian steel.

"The Sword of Irae," Tiberius spoke with pride. "Taken by our bloodline after the defeat of Thera."

The Decanus spoke up, "Your Highness, if you don't mind, I would wish to go down to the hypogeum myself and examine these gladiators before the fights begin. Would that be acceptable?"

"Yes, yes," he impatiently waved him away as he massaged his temples, "but watch for serpents."

"Of course," he bowed and excused himself, nodding to the guard that led him to one of the many secret entrances to at least a hundred different tunnels that existed underground. Once safely down below, he wound his way through the tunnel that would lead him to the gladiators' waiting room. As he rounded the corner, he came upon the lanista, who was busy speaking with a rather sizable group of highborn women that were begging to be granted entrance into the gladiators' room.

"I'm sorry, ladies, while I'm sure the men would appreciate your company, they must concentrate their energies for the afternoon's activities. If you would like, you are welcome to come and watch any of our practices during the week." Seeing the Decanus, Euric ushered them away quickly.

"Uh, hello, Decanus. What brings you down to these flea-infested haunts?"

"Lanista, I wish to see these new recruits of yours. I'm curious about my chances of making any of my money back in today's wagers," he laughed.

Euric masked his anxiety with a hearty laugh in reply, "Absolutely, Decanus. Why don't you follow me?" He held his hand out and he and the Decanus stepped into the large room where the waiting gladiators were either standing or sat upon benches, nervously anticipating the upcoming events.

"You know," the Decanus remarked, "I've always been fascinated by all things gladiatorial."

"I think most men are."

"I have to admit, I have often wondered how I would fare in such a contest myself."

"Oh, Decanus," Euric fawned, "you would be unmatched, I'm sure!"

He looked at him coolly, "Yes, well your ability to flatter is unmatched... I'm sure."

Juko, clad in his feathers and scales, stiffened as they entered the room seeking out T'tembo first.

Euric held out his hand, "This is our palus primus."

"Yes, I'm familiar with this one." He looked the large gladiator up and down, as if he were examining an animal that he wanted to buy at the market. "He's undefeated, which makes him not as valuable now on the betting circuit as he once was. A sure thing, really."

Euric showed him a few others of the gladiatorial specimens, including Kai.

"A spear?" The Decanus inquired, taking the weapon into his own hands.

"A Golden Man's spear. Much different in design to our own as you can see, much more equipped for close distances."

He nodded, admiring the leaf shaped arrowhead and bright red tassel that hung from its top. He returned the spear to Kai and then moved on to Juko. His face brightened, "Ah yes! Our new star! I'm very interested in seeing this one fight. How will he fare against the spear, do you think?"

Euric grew nervous, "Well, he is quite a remarkable fighter. I believe he has a good chance."

"Good. I've put quite a lot on him."

The Decanus seemed uninterested in pursing any more information about Juko and moved on. Then, after viewing the rest of the gladiators he was ready to return to his seat, saying as he shook the Euric's hand, "Good-looking group you have."

"You should come down one day to our training sessions."

"I would like that, lanista."

Euric bowed and the Decanus turned to leave but just before he did, he turned around and asked, "Oh, how would you join like to join us in the Emperor's box during this next fight? As you know, it's a fabulous view."

He started to sweat, "Oh, yes, I would be, uh, be honored, sir."

The Decanus nodded as he walked away and disappeared down into the tunnel.

***

Hours after their near miss with the Giants while procuring Hanna's rescue, Timonus and the members of the Lupa Faction arrived at the edge of the sparse forest of Odalia, positioning themselves so close to the White Palace that they could actually see its eastern walls from where they stood. But despite their apparent readiness, Timonus was making them wait - though he had yet to give them a reason.

Timonus was at a mental crossroads as he stared up at the white walls. There was something in him, a fear of some kind, preventing him from moving forward but he couldn't identify it.

Camilla walked away from the group and joined him in staring up at the wall, "Legate, I must say, I do not envy your position."

He nodded slightly, "Right now, neither do I."

"While I would never make it a point to question your judgment, I do wonder what it is that we are waiting for?"

He inhaled deeply, "I'm not sure, Camilla. I feel... uneasy but I'm not sure about what."

Her voice sounded slightly apprehensive as she asked, "The lookouts say the Gigantes are closing the gap between us. Are you not concerned for your men? Shouldn't we warn them?"

He looked upon the ground, "Yes, though I know that the minute we step foot into Odalia the life that I've known for nearly three decades will be over." He looked over at her, "I'm also asking a lot of you and the others. Almost certainly we will lose lives today but is it worth it?"

"Well, Legate, that is our choice to make - not yours." She looked at him thoughtfully, "But I think that is not the only thing that bothers you."

Timonus looked at her curiously as she continued, "I think it is the fear of what will become of your friend, the Emperor."

He nodded but said nothing.

"He must have been a great man to have you still supporting him. What was he like before?"

"Well," Timonus began, "it's hard to say. He was always arrogant... spoiled, entitled but never needlessly cruel. If anything, he seemed apathetic and unconcerned towards any affairs of state." He looked at her, "That's the thing that I do not understand. These laws and these ideas in his head are recent manifestations!"

She shrugged and said off-handedly, "Maybe he is ill?"

He looked at her, slightly alarmed, "I... I never considered that a possibility. Do you think he could be?"

"Has anything else been odd with his behavior?"

"He complains of headaches, constant headaches - and stomach issues. He never sleeps anymore, either. Says he speaks with the Two Brothers all night long-"

"He's being poisoned," Hannah spoke up at last from behind them.

"What?" They both turned to face her.

She looked uncomfortable under their scrutiny as she and the Legate had not actually spoken since her rescue, "The Emperor, from what you've just said, the headaches, stomach cramps - he's being poisoned."

He eyed her warily, "Are you sure of this?"

She grew a bit bolder as she asked, insolently, "You would ask a venefica if she's sure that someone is being poisoned?"

"But, if this is true, is there anything that can be done? Can he be cured?"

She shook her head, "It all depends on what poison it is and at what stage."

He looked back at the wall, "Then I suppose we'll need to find out."

***

The Cavalli rested just south of the Caves of the Veneficas. The three-day journey through the desert had exhausted both them and their horses and, in addition, had nearly depleted their morale - for the trek so far had only raised more questions about the Giants than actually answered them. Severus reclined against one of the large black rocks that had begun to pepper the landscape around them and pondered all that they had seen so far upon their journey.

The first day in the desert wasteland had started out rather tame and as they rode, they were pleased to see that the other side of the desert appeared just a few meters away over the horizon. Soon, though, with every step they took that lead them nowhere closer, the Cavalli realized that what they were seeing was just the Sun God playing tricks upon their minds. Disappointed, their previous songs of merriment and tales of past triumphs fell silent.

As they rode through the arid land and looked out over the rolling dunes that surrounded them, Severus couldn't believe that what he saw had ever been lush with vegetation, despite the fact that he had witnessed it for himself just decades previous. But now as he gazed upon it, the ground was bare and cracked and the wind swirled bits of sand up into their eyes and as night fell, the temperature became almost unbearably cold as they struggled to sleep.

Then, as they set out for the next day already fatigued from lack of sleep, Severus soon became convinced that they were lost as hours had passed by with nothing but the same monotonous sand dunes to mark the landscape. But as the sun sunk into the afternoon sky, they caught sight of something faintly off in the distance. It looked like ragged strips of scarlet material blowing in the winds but it wasn't until they were nearly upon it that they could see that it was the remains of several tent-like structures, which had been strung together to form a kind of makeshift city. Bones, bleached by the sun, and turned over pots littered the area around it, leading them to believe that it had been abandoned very recently.

The Cavalli dismounted and began inspecting it, hoping to find any left over water to quench their thirst or food to sate their hunger. Disappointingly, the best they could find was a crude well that brought up dirty water and for food, they discovered all that was left were rotten carcasses of unknown origins littered about the place.

All was not lost, though, as the entire camp was surrounded by large hoof prints that continued on into the north. Severus was pleased to at last have a trail to follow and used his sword to sift through the remains of a few of the campfires they had come across, "So, this is where the Giants have been all these years."

Tacitus shook his head, "No, I-I don't think they have. Because if so, then why would I have found one of their camps in our forest?"

Severus nodded, "Then what are your thoughts on this, Brother?"

Tacitus felt a rush of appreciation for being asked and gave his most honest answer, "I think they've been secretly scattered throughout the entire Eastern Shore all these years, in their original limited packs. I think this is where they have all recently converged and that's why there's a massive set of prints leading north."

"But why?" asked Decimus.

"That much, I don't know but we have to figure it out."

They mounted up and rode for another day, still following the mish-mash of prints that continued to lead them inexplicably northwards. As the journey went on, they became increasingly desperate and drank the dirty water they had gathered from the Giant's camp and ate whatever scorpions or lizards they could find. Their new diet had ill effects, including vomiting, which left most of the warriors dehydrated

But after surviving another harsh night, the exhausted Cavalli eventually emerged from the Unclaimed Desert and onto the Eastern Shore. In contrast to the sands they had left behind, the green coastal grass grew tall and blew in the cool wind that had come off of the waves that crashed loudly beside them. While they still lacked water, the stronger of the Cavalli set about capturing fish to eat in order to restore their strength.

Resting against the rock, Severus agonized over their fate. The Giants' prints and camp litter continued upon the shore road but he didn't know for how long and he wasn't sure they were safe being out in the open as they were. Plus, they would have to pass the Cave of the Veneficas soon and in all honesty he wasn't sure if they would interfere with his party or not. There wasn't necessarily any bad blood between the veneficas and the Cavalli but they often worked for the Empire and that could prove disastrous for Severus and his warriors.

"So, what do we do?" Tacitus inquired as he approached, having done his best to tend to the ill members of their party.

Severus sighed and stood, "We keep going. We now know that the Giants are here in Lycania, but we don't know exactly where nor do we know why?"

"Well, the trail looks as if it goes on for thousands of meters along the shore path. Do you think they could possibly be heading to Odalia?"

"Doubtful but I can't say for sure. Why would they?" He shook his head again, "I don't entirely understand it." He then looked at his brother and sought his advice again, "Tell me your thoughts, Tacitus. What have you been thinking?"

Tacitus heart thrilled again, "Well, I-I say we go to Odalia but we stay off the main path and instead go westwards through the hills."

Severus looked surprised, "Oh? That's an interesting path to take. Why would you do this?"

"It makes sense, if you think about it." He reached into the bag that he had slung across his chest and pulled out the map. He showed Severus as he pointed to the area towards Lycania's middle, "I think they're going to Odalia, Severus. There's no other reason to be here. This road is not a trade route. It wasn't even that often traveled when these were Cavalli lands.

"The main problem is that we don't know their current location and if we stay on this path, we could be walking straight into their camp and not even know it. But if we take the hills, we can spy on Odalia from a safe distance and give some of the more ill of our party time to rest. Plus, we can fill our bags with fresh water from the stream that's near there as well as find wild game to fill up on for the journey back home."

The Giant-Killer mulled over Tacitus' plan for a moment before eventually nodding, "Alright, that's what we'll do, then and if the Giants have any plans in Odalia, I guess we'll know soon enough what they are. Good work, Brother."

***

The crowd in the arena was cheering so loudly that Juko could feel the roar within his own chest as he walked out onto the dust and for one brief second, as he looked around the mass of people that rose up to the heavens, he felt that he could almost understand his brother's reasons for wanting to become a gladiator. He'd never seen so many people gathered in one spot but there they were, twenty thousand people standing on their feet and shouting his name - and he hadn't even made a single move yet.

Euric stood next to the Decanus in the Emperor's box and attempted to hide any nervousness he felt with his usual showman's flair, pointing out Juko and bragging, "He has to be the best fighter I have seen in my years of doing this! You will not be disappointed in this fight, Your Majesty!"

The Emperor frowned, "I hope he's awful. He looks like a buffoon out there in all those feathers. Besides, a Bestial fighting a Bestial, why should I care? Why should any Lycanian care? We put too much value on N'bari fighters, calling them 'exotic' when they are only nothings like the others. The gods tell me they will die soon, anyway."

Euric stayed hushed while his mind searched furiously for a way to escape.

The Orator below them announced Kai's entrance and as the Golden Man entered the arena, the crowds began to boo and hiss, throwing bits of food at him to emphasize their dislike of the novice gladiator. He looked anxiously at Juko, who nodded back, as if trying to mentally calm the man and reassure him that all would be well.

The gladiators were then ordered to take their positions and as they did, a priestess from the Temple of the Two Brothers, dressed from head to toe in a mass of white robes, appeared at the edge of the first tier. She cast a silken square out into the arena and when it landed in the dust, the gladiators began their grand charade.

Kai swiped at Juko with his spear and as the N'bari jumped back, the audience immediately cried out. They then began their carefully choreographed fight, jumping at one another while avoiding strikes at certain points then clashing at others until Juko pretended to take a stab to the leg - which caused the crowd to jump immediately from their seats. He limped and carried on, sending the crowd into such frenzy that they were leaning out over the edges of the arena walls and shouting both curses and encouragements at him.

Then, just as they had rehearsed, Juko gained control of Kai's spear and appeared to change the course of the fight. The crowd cheered frantically, feeling that their champion's triumph was near. Soon, after a few well-timed rolls and falls, Juko at last stood over Kai, the spear point at his throat.

The crowd cheered incessantly as the Orator asked, "Do you yield, Golden Man?"

Kai gave the thumps up signal, shouting, "I yield! I yield!"

"Then, citizens of Lycania, cheer for your new champion of the arena-"

"Wait." Tiberius commanded.

The Orator turned around, slightly confused, "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"None of this 'I yield' filth. It should be to the death. I want it to the death. What's the point in this foolish nonsense if there's no blood?"

The Orator turned back to the crowd and announced, "I'm sorry, dear watchers, the Emperor himself now demands that the bout end in death!"

A raucous cheer went up from the crowd as they chanted, "Death, death, death!" over and over.

Juko's eyes grew wide as he looked down at Kai, whose breath came in short bursts while he had begun sweating profusely.

The crowd continued shouting, "Death, death, death!" all around them.

Kai closed his eyes and nodded but as Juko stared down at him lying there upon the dust, he hesitated. He had never killed a man nor had he ever had a desire to - save one. He looked back up into the stands at the Decanus.

The Emperor shouted, annoyed as his headache spiked behind his eyes, "What is taking so long? Do as your told or I will have you killed where you stand!"

Juko remained still, for even under threat of death himself he felt he could not unjustly kill another man. Instead, he threw down the spear and pulled Kai up from the dust.

The crowd booed and in a fit of anger, Tiberius stood up from his seat and ordered the guards to seize the N'bari.

Euric, in a moment of panic, leaned over to the Emperor, "Eh, wait, Your Highness, I have an idea!"

Tiberius shut his eyes, his head becoming almost unbearable, "What is it, lanista?"

"Don't kill him just yet!"

"Make this fast, Vandal, or you will join him."

"Instead of just killing him, why not have this fool fight one of the great Lycanian Legionaries?"

"To what end?"

"To... to show Lycania's might over the Bestials of course!" He grabbed the Decanus and pulled him in closer, "In fact, the Decanus here was just telling me earlier about how he wished to test his mettle against such an opponent! He will clearly win, Your Majesty, as the might of the Lycanian forces is unbeatable due to the mercy and compassion of the Two Brothers, may they be praised. Besides, if the N'bari is going to die anyway-"

"Oh yes, Father!" Spurius applauded with glee. "I would so love to see the Decanus fight!"

Tiberius turned towards the stunned face of the Decanus and addressed him, "Alright then, it will be. Decanus, arm yourself and go put an end to this... whatever he is." He motioned for the Orator to announce the new fight.

The Decanus whispered to Euric as left the box, "You will pay for this, lanista. I will make sure of it!"

Euric shrugged sheepishly, "You have the gods on your side, you can't lose!"

As the new fight was announced, the crowd's electricity shifted. Those wealthy Lycanians who had just cheered for the victory of Juko now cheered for the Decanus, while the poorer citizens retained their loyalty to the N’bari warrior, seeing his possible win as a triumph over the tyranny that had made their lives so miserable in the last years.

The Decanus emerged into the arena, his familiar helm shining beneath the sun as the crowd jumped to its feet again. After Kai was safely away from the arena, Juko squared himself before the other man and stared into the ice-blue eyes of his brother's killer.

The Orator continued, "Cheer for your champion, Lycania! Choose your side! Bestial or Lycanian! Who will win? Although, I have a feeling that the certainty of this fight was written in the stars long ago!"

The Decanus said nothing as he pulled out his gladius and gripped its hilt.

The priestess was called upon again to drop another silken square and as it floated into the arena, the Decanus charged at Juko. He lifted his