Chapter 8 - Battle

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Every other weekend, the gladiators gathered in the arena to watch and participate in fights. The battles would go on until either a fighter surrendered, or couldn’t fight anymore.

Omar instructed Rook and Ace to view each fight to understand what they were about to face. On one particular weekend, Ace viewed Diego, Snake, Sean, and Ronan all participating in fights.

Diego was involved in most battles from the camp, he wore heavy armor and used his huge build to overpower his opponents.

His scars showed that he was not without defeat, but his battle-hardened attitude returned him to the arena countless times. He was fighting for his freedom like everyone else, but Ace noticed a particular excitement from Diego whenever he was readying up for a fight.

It was almost as if Diego enjoyed the arena. It seemed to Ace that he was some sort of battle junkie. In one fight, Ace watched him decapitate one of his opponents and decided it would be best not to mess with him.

The two red-headed brothers, Sean and Ronan, participated in two-on-two battles. Their coordination was amazing and they were supposedly undefeated. Sean would use his long spear to support Ronan, who stood at the front with sword and shield. They both wore light leather armor which gave them enough mobility to protect each other.

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Whenever Ronan became exhausted, Sean would step forward and protect his brother with his large shield. It was clear they had grown up surviving great hardships together, and used this advantage to win battles against uncoordinated opponents.

Nearing the end of the day, everyone in Salvador’s camp sat on the edge of their seats to watch Snake’s battle. His opponent was allegedly a great fisherman before becoming a gladiator. He wielded a weighted net and trident.

Snake started out strong, closing the distance to his opponent and swinging his sword ruthlessly.

Snake’s reach and speed were his main weapons in battle. He tried slashing at his opponent in hopes of gaining victory before the spearman took control of the fight.

However, the fisherman kept leaping backward, dodging Snake’s approach while keeping enough distance to jab with his spear. As Snake approached him in an attempt to gain control of the fight, the fisherman skillfully dodged and responded with jabs that cut Snake’s arms and legs.

The fisherman used his newfound advantage to press forward, stabbing towards Snake’s vitals. Snake moved defensively, avoiding each fatal blow. However, his movements become predictable.

The fisherman found an opening and launched his net forward in hopes of restraining Snake.

A great throw landed on Snake’s torso and lower body. His legs got tangled in the woven net and the weights tangled around his feet. Snake’s quick movements were suddenly restricted.

The fisherman gladiator rushed forward and stabbed Snake in the abdomen with his spear. Snake fell to the floor.

A pool of blood quickly formed and screams of agony echoed through the repurposed football stadium.

The fisherman raised his arms, exciting the crowd to cheer loudly. This primal exhibition excited the people of New Cancún, and Ace wondered if humans had morals any better than animals. Even he, half tiger, knew there was something wrong about all of this.

After the victor was announced, doctors tried to stop the bleeding and save Snake, but his wounds were too great. Ace watched in horror as he saw what could become of him. If he wasn’t careful, and ruthless, it could be him who lay bleeding out in the center of the coliseum.