Chapter 5 - New Master

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Omar brought Ace and Rook down a main road away from the market and to the large cup-shaped structure Ace noticed whilst getting off the boat he arrived on.

“What's that?” he asked Omar.

“That’s the Colosseum. It was a football stadium before the Great Calamity. We use it for sporting and gladiatorial events.”

A Colloseum? Gladitorial events? This shocked Ace since he had never been aware of such a thing existing. Ace marveled at its size whilst they walked past it to a collection of buildings adjacent to it.

They arrived at a compound with a large mansion, a spacious courtyard, and another building behind it that looked like where slaves were kept.

Ace wondered what kind of work he would be expected to complete. Omar greeted a guard outside the door to the mansion and they stepped inside.

The mansion was a state of luxury Ace had never witnessed before. Complex weaved rugs with intricate geometric patterns covered the floor and beautiful paintings adorned the walls.

Weapons of all sorts were mounted throughout the living room, some of which Ace couldn’t recognize. He assumed these were relics. The three passed through the main room and stepped into another large room resembling a library. More books than Ace had ever seen were stacked high on shelves all around him.

Interrupting Ace’s awe, a voice reached him,

“Welcome! I’m Salvador! I do apologize for your unfortunate circumstances which have become of you to be here, however, if you fight hard I will offer you freedom.”

A tall and burly man stood from his desk and smiled down on Ace and Rook. He wore an expensive-looking robe and sported large hideous scars over most of his exposed body and face. Ace was surprised by the sudden news. A chance at freedom? He could go find his sister and return home!

Omar addressed Salvador, “Master, this is Ace and Rook. They tell me Rook has experience fighting, and the tiger seems like he can pick up on it quick, as soon as his leg heals.”

“Follow me. I’ll get you acquainted with your lodgings and duties. It will be tough, but I hope you all survive to see your freedom.”

Uh oh. Ace started piecing together what he had seen and heard thus far. “Am I going to be a gladiator?” he thought.

The sun was beginning to set when the four men reached the courtyard. In a corner of the compound in a place Ace couldn’t see before were five strong-looking men. They were eating food and chatting leisurely, but as soon as they saw Salvador they stood up at attention.

“This is Rook and Ace. They will be joining you today. Teach them what you know, and help them best you can.” Salvador commanded. He nodded to Omar.

Omar then approached a rack of nearby weapons and grabbed two wooden swords. He threw one at Rook and the other at one of the men lined up before him.

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“Snake, duel with Rook. See what he can do. I’d test you too Ace, but we’ll have to wait until you’re healed.” he said, looking at Ace’s foot.

The tallest of the men caught the wooden sword and stepped forward. He was skinnier than the rest, with jet-black hair and a tanned complexion. Rook approached him and they took stances facing each other.

“Begin!” shouted Omar.

Snake immediately lunged towards Rook with surprising speed. He aimed for a stab in Rook’s chest.

With rivaling agility, Rook parried and stepped forward to push Snake and knock him off balance.

Snake tripped and fell to one knee, where Rook moved to strike him from above with the wooden sword.

Snake rolled to avoid the incoming blow then swept his leg to knock Rook over.

They both recovered quickly to continue their bout. Their wooden swords clashed several more times before Snake managed to strike Rook’s arm.

Rook hesitated and looked to Omar, he nodded as if to say, “Continue”.

Rook clearly had more battle experience, and his techniques were more refined, but it was clear his age was holding him back.

Snake seemed about ten years older than Ace, making Snake about twenty-four.

He had no problem in a test of endurance with old man Rook.

He pressed Rook offensively with many blows, taking advantage of their difference in stamina. He was not giving Rook a chance to rest.

Rook skillfully managed to deflect every blow. He had a fearsome look in his eye like he was used to this. His sharp gaze looked for opportunities.

Snake recklessly went for a decisive overhead swing, which Rook blocked by grasping the blade of the wooden sword with his offhand.

They struggled for a moment before Rook kicked Snake in the chest, knocking him to the floor.

Before he could stand, Rook stood over him with a grin, pointing his weapons at Snake’s neck.

“Great! Seems you weren’t lying about your skill. You’ve got some great technique, old man, you might just survive the arena.” Omar said.

With that, Salvador and Omar left. Rook and Ace went over to the table the men were originally sitting at, and ate some food whilst they all introduced themselves.

In terms of seniority, first was Diego. He was in his thirties and had clear battle scars which seemed relatively recent. He had tanned skin with black hair. He had a huge build and stood almost as tall as Snake. With a frown, he introduced himself, but didn’t say much else, then retreated to his quarters.

Next was Snake. He told his story. He was an orphan in a city far to the south. He was kidnapped when he was little and sold into slavery. He worked in the fields as a farmhand throughout his childhood. He’s been fighting in the arena since Salvador purchased him when he was thirteen.

Two red-headed brothers named Sean and Ronan came next. They were twenty and twenty-two. When they were six years younger, their alcoholic father fell into terrible debt gambling, and when he couldn’t pay up in time, the debtors took the brothers as compensation. They seemed to be in relatively good spirits given their situation. Perhaps they were content to have each other.

Then there was Light. He was the newest to the group before Ace and Rook. Turns out he was caught poaching in the Empire’s woods and ended up here. He seemed the friendliest to Ace. He was a bit younger than Ace, but was taller than him. He had snow-white hair. It was straight and longer than most, reaching down to his shoulders. Ace would be sharing a room with him and it was clear Light was excited to have a friend his age.

—- Luna —-

The short fat man who purchased Luna from the slave trader in the market brought her to the edge of the city. The first chance she got on their journey through town, she dashed off trying to escape. A guard noticed her and knocked her down; she ended up in tighter restraints and was carried over one of the bodyguards’ shoulders.

Luna fought the whole way, kicking and biting at her captor. She despised the idea of being separated from her brother and refused to be a slave. She couldn’t allow it and swore to escape however she could. She would find her brother and return to Roft.

Finally, they reached their destination. It was a port on the edge of the city. Everyone there was wearing a blue uniform with swords attached to their waists. The short man and his bodyguards brought Luna to a cell and left after sharing words with the guards.

After a few days of staying in her cell, Luna wasn’t sure what to think of her new situation. Part of her regretted not planning her escape more carefully. The guards refused to acknowledge her and so she spent her time thinking of any way to evade her imprisonment. She wondered what was going to happen to her.

On the third day in the cell, two men entered and brought her to a new room. It was strange to Luna. It had bright lights and equipment she’d never seen before. She was surprised at the amount of relics she couldn’t recognize.

There was a man who she assumed to be a doctor dressed in a long white coat arranging medical equipment. The men who took her from her cell then tried attaching chains to her wrists.

After a short struggle, Luna was bound. They then commanded her to lie on the white bed and Luna’s instincts told her she was in trouble. As if her life depended on it, she made her move.

She bit at the nearest man’s face and tried to yank free from their grasp. Their grip loosened and she thought she had a chance to break free.

Suddenly the doctor appeared behind her, stabbing her with a syringe of strange liquid. Luna could hear the men speaking Spanish as they chained her wrists and ankles to the bed. Before passing out, Luna noticed a hulking figure enter the room and stand above her, looking at her with an unnerving smile.