Chapter 6 - Sparring

----------------------------------------

Ace got settled into his new living environment. For the next three months, while his leg healed, he learned a lot about his new situation. Omar taught him how to read and write in both English and Spanish. Ace also learned about the nature of the world.

He learned that he was currently in New Cancún, which was ruled by the Scattered Empire’s Warlord, Scar. The Scattered Empire has loose treaties with each other and does not usually get in each other's way. This has made them very powerful worldwide. Scar and Crow (the imperial warlord who controls Roft) have been having disputes about trade; their treaty was broken when Scar allowed slavers to invade Crow’s lands.

The world had other kings and leaders including powerful companies and pirate kings.

In Scar’s city, Colosseum battles occurred every other weekend, and once a year a grand tournament is held where the victor is granted a large sum of money. Ace learned that if he earned enough from his victories, he would be set free. Becoming champion of the grand tournament would speed up that progress greatly. This inspired Ace, and he hoped to train hard enough to win his freedom as quickly as possible.

Ace asked Omar about Salvador.

“Salvador was born a slave and grew up training his whole life to be a gladiator in the coliseum. He became champion of the Colosseum by the time he was sixteen and earned his freedom through many great battles. Even after earning his freedom, he continued to fight. He earned a small fortune competing as a freedman until he had enough money to purchase his own gladiators. Today he buys slaves when he can, and gives them the same opportunity he had to become free.” Omar explained.

“And how did you end up working for Salvador?” Ace asked

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“I was one of the first gladiators Salvador trained himself. He found me starving to death at the hands of an abusive merchant. He bought me and has been like a father since then. I earned my freedom in the arena like him, and today I stand by his side. He trusts me to train you all the same way he trained me”

Omar was friendly but stern. His teaching style was very rigid and Ace was learning quickly much about the great world around him. Ace gained a liking to him since he seemed like he cared about Ace.

Ace didn’t see much of Salvador during his learning, but he seemed like a noble character. His story inspired Ace and he wondered if one day he could bring riches home to Roft. Ace was excited at the prospect of earning his freedom and hoped to reunite with his sister as soon as he could.

Three months after joining Salvador’s gladiators, with a healed leg, Ace began training with the other gladiators. Rook had taken on the role of a drill instructor while Omar taught Ace English and Spanish. Rook had great skills and taught the five other gladiators many of his techniques.

In the courtyard, the sun beat down on Ace and he felt the dirt between his toes. He dug his feet into the soil and launched forward with an overhead swing. His wooden sword crashed down towards Light. However, Light swiftly parried and dodged leftward with surprising speed, avoiding the blow.

Ace jumped back, expecting a counterattack. Light threw two daggers in quick succession, causing Ace to dodge quickly against his momentum.

Off balance from the quick change in direction, Ace wasn’t prepared for Light's next move. He charged Ace, closing the distance with speed, and held one wooden knife to Ace’s neck.

“You’re fast!” Ace said, readying himself for his next bout.

For Ace’s first taste of fighting, Omar instructed him to spar with Light so that Ace could find weapons he felt comfortable with.

Light fought with daggers in the style of Roman Pugio; his speed and accuracy compensated for his lack of strength and reach. He would use a bow, but fights in the arena were usually shorter-ranged.

He carried enough daggers for them to be thrown and took advantage of this style of fighting. He quickly grew custom to these weapons due to his past experiences as a hunter.

“You’re quick too! I’m hardly beating you and I’ve been training for the past year. Once you learn some techniques I’m sure I won’t stand a chance.” Light responded.

The two dueled til dusk. Ace tried all the weapons available to him. At first, he tried using a weighted net and a Tepoztopilli (broad pointed spear). He thought his experience as a fisherman would help him, however, he found that these weapons didn’t feel as good as another choice.

He eventually settled on a sword and shield. The sword was a curved cutlass, and the shield was a small buckler. The shield had an intricate engraving of an eagle spreading its wings across the face. This combination of weapons allowed him to use most of his strength and speed, without sacrificing mobility. Unlike the net and spear, he had a means of defense as well as a much faster attack with the sword. His quick reflexes allowed for a great ability to parry most of Light’s attacks once he got used to his new weapons.