literature

Colosseum of War - Gladiator

Deviation Actions

gameofficial222's avatar
Published:
362 Views

Literature Text

He is awoken by a nightmare in which he sees and hears women and children screaming.

What's worse is that they are his memories:

Memories of when his village was being burned to the ground.

Memories of when his family and friends were slaughtered
As he was made to watch, powerless to save them.

He still remembered the soldiers, who had marched in and restrained him.
He still recalled their merciless chanting " For the glory of the empire!"
As the village was obliterated.

Those memories had kept him from sleeping for way too many nights.

At times he had wondered why he hadn't died that night,
Only to realize the world could never have been that kind.

Because he had be sentenced to a fate worse then death -

He was made a slave,
forced to work long and grueling days.
Being beaten unto he passed out, if he disobeyed.

He had constantly been sold off to the highest bidder, until finally he was made a "Gladiator" -
A murderer, there to entertain the bloodthirsty Imperial Citizens in their forsaken arenas.

"What a cursed fate..."

Speaking those words wouldn't change anything,
So he chooses to stop thinking about it.

After all, he did so every morning,
Only to recall that in the year he had been a gladiator, he had killed thirty-two people.

And despite everything he had seen or done,
he still for some reason feared death.
So somewhere along the way he had chosen to fight and survive.

Killing others just like himself,
hoping that some day, "The Gods" would help escape this hell.


He leaves his cell -
Soon would have to get ready,
because today was another day in which he would have to fight to survive.

He had to get dressed,
Do his tiring mental and physical training
He had to eat his meal,
knowing it might be his last.

He proceeds.

Once finished, he gets himself a drink
Finds a nice, quite corner,
He sits down and thinks:

Yet, he can't help but recall the faces of the thirty-two he had slain.

And for what!?

Just so he could live another day as a slave?
Or maybe in the hopes that the day when he earns his freedom would come, paid with blood of the fallen.

He couldn't stop himself from thinking for hours on end,
Until he was interrupted by the sounds of the crowds which wouldn't die down,

Probably feasting their sights upon the body of another fallen gladiator.

"What despicable crows..."

Those people up above knew nothing about living each day, knowing you would have to choose between killing or laying down to die.

His thoughts are once again interrupted,
This time by the attendant, informing him that his match was next.

"I wish you luck Champion!"
The attendant says.

Yes.
Despite all of his hate for the bloodthirsty spectators up above,
He had been dubbed "The Champion Of The People" by those fanatics in the stands.

The world was indeed cruel...

"Aut agere aut mori -
Either Act Or Die!"

He reads on the walls as he prepares.

He puts on his finely crafted armor and picks up his standard soldiers sword.

He chooses to leave his head exposed -
His face already riddled with scares of foreign metal against his skin.

Walking up to the lift,
He takes a deep breath.

He steps onto the platform,
Waiting to be raised to the arena up above.

Once again he leaves his humanity, memories, regrets and sanity below.

As he is raised to the arena floor,
A part of him is hoping that this time, the opponent's weapon might strike him a deadly blow.

Stepping off of the platform onto the bloodied sand,
He takes a minute to soak in the overwhelming size of this "Colosseum of War".

The cheers of the crowds can be heard from all around him.
Across stands his opponent.
Another sorry soul, just like himself.

Preparations are complete.
The signal is given.
A man yells:

"Let the battle begin!"

He wastes no time -
Charging like a mad bull,
Aiming for his opponent's head.

Swings of swords.
The clash of metal.
Being repeated over and over.

A overture of violence,
Capable of breeding nothing, but pain.

Blood is drawn -
His opponent is the weaker man, badly injured,
Laying on the arena floor.

The crowds grow quiet for a minute,
As if they were expecting more.

They are agitated, by the quickness of this fight
And by all means show it -
Yelling,
Booing,
Swearing.

"What a pack of mad dogs..."

A man in white silk robes with red lining stands up.
The crowds grow silent.

He proceeds to raise his right hand, face high, in the shape of a fist.

Looking on at the fallen man who is injured, bloodied but still very much alive.

The man asks a simple question:
"Who lives and who dies?"

That man points his finger towards "The Champion Of The People"
After which a loud "Nay" is heard.

"You shall live to fight another day!"
A confirmation he has been saved.

The man quickly shifts his finger towards the other gladiator on the ground:
"Ay!"
Leaves the mouth of all attending.

The thumb on the mans right hand, points down.

"The people have spoken -
You are sentenced to death!"

The mans tell the Champion:
"Off with his head!"

The Champion can only comply,
Having been sparred his life
The crowds wanted blood so he couldn't stay his blade.

"Not this time either..."

He raises his blade,
After which he brings about a quick end.

The crowds once again cheered.

Happy from the sight of another fallen soul.

The Champion on the other hand,  
stared down at the lifeless body of the unknown gladiator,
who's life he had just taken.

The Champion's eyes -
Empty.

"That makes thirty-three... "
Those are the only words he speaks.

He walks towards the tunnel's leading back to the hell,
Which laid down below.

The light of the world faded upon his entry.

Spectators were still chanting his name.

He goes back to sitting in his quite corner.
He thinks about the coming days...

Wondering when again he would have to slay.
This is the first half of the Arena short story from the perspective of the Gladiator. The second half will be from the perspective of a spectator.
Comments2
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
ExterminatorHydrogen's avatar
Wow, this is really amazing!