Holy Gladiator

Chapter 4; the first

Gyle woke us all up that morning, escorting all the victors away, leaving someone else in charge of the others.

We arrive at the stands, Gyle and Matilda leading me away from the others, rushing off as I see Rose enter the crowd, with a few others around her age. Gyle wields a spear, unlike his former weapon.

"Excuse me..!" I try to speak, them not paying attention. We wind up near the front, adjacent to where the Duke resides high off the ground.

"You'll see his face a different time," Gyle states, leaning against the wall. "He said he wanted to take you to see something last night when I retired to my quarters."

"Your quarters?" I inquire.

"Here, the higher-up fighters get a special spot where they rest alone and have a bed."

"That sounds unpleasant."

"It's a dungeon cell."

"More unpleasant than I thought."

The portcullis begins opening as we talk, along with another on the other side.

"Why do you find being alone uncomfortable?" Matilda questions, leaning over. She has a more grim expression than the other day.

"I spent my whole life sleeping in bunks after I took the gown. I'm used to it." I respond, letting out a sigh as I see the heroic walkout from the portcullis, a crowd following suit. He holds but a small shiv.

Gyle tosses the spear down onto the ground as they emerge.

"What's going on?"

"When we get recruits, we do a training session of two rounds. Whoever loses goes onto the colosseum ground. Whoever survives who they fight against gets to join the victors. It's always a stacked match. Chances of survival are slim and are mostly by accident, excluding a few occasions."

"Gyle here was part of one of those few occasions, where he butchered the opponent as he had his first taste of true adrenaline!" Matilda exclaims, rocking back and forth.

I nod in response, watching the heroic. I sigh, "I know him actually. His name is Felix, he always wanted to be a knight. He tried to train but was always like a training dummy. After the first hit, he cowered; he has sensitive skin. He really is a farmer's boy."

"Poor Farmers boy." Gyle murmurs, "reminds me of Phineas, same situation. Wanted to be a knight, joined the town watch." He reflects, watching people file out.

"Right between the legs." Matilda mentions, "then armoured shoe to the head. The Duke likes to lead the charges himself." She places a finger on the bridge of her nose as the rest of the crowd exits. "And the guy you came with? Ronaldo?"

"What about him?" I ask as I see him in the crowd.

"What's his story?"

"Don't know if he'll want me saying."

"Fair," Matilda admits, shrugging. "Just a taste then!"

"Joined the cloth to avoid an arranged marriage. I managed to convince him to train with me. He's older than I, believe it or not."

Matilda gives me a bap on the shoulder, "there we go!" Matilda gives me a forced smile as she turns away. Gyle is focused on the colosseum. I turn my gaze to where everyone else is. At the corner of my eye, I see a massive blonde paw step from the entrance of the other portcullis.

A lion emerges, followed by another as my heart sinks. Behind them resides a slim man who holds them on collars.

"No... no no no no no!" I go to leap down. A hand grabs me and wraps me up. I feel my comrades' hearts sink at the sight. The crowd roars in excitement.