Chapter 48

With her gladius upheld, Octavia swung for Krista's neck.

Ducking, Krista felt the blade graze the tips of her hair as she extended her arm and struck Octavia in her abdomen.

Octavia's stomach curled inwards at the strike, her sword flying out to the side, as Krista stood and swung her fist towards the Commander's jaw.

Octavia gripped her wrist when it was a few centimetres from her flesh, and swung her sword towards Krista's ankles.

Grunting, Krista kicked herself off the ground and flipped over the top of Octavia's head, the Commander releasing her grip to halt herself from falling backwards.

Landing with their backs to each other, Krista kicked out her leg behind her and felt her boot connect the bottom of Octavia's spine.

Octavia lurched forward but she did not fall. Catching her footing, she turned and charged at Krista with a foreswing and a backswing.

Krista dodged the first and raised her sword to parry the second.

She pushed Octavia back, back, back . . . but she remained standing.

Their swords clashed between them, sending sparks flying into the air, as Octavia swung low for the outside of Krista's thigh.

Krista blocked the attack simultaneously lifting her boot and planting it against the tip of Octavia's sword where it met the ground, holding it down.

Octavia gripped her sword tighter, trying to pull it from the ground, as Krista held it in place. Lifting her own blade, Krista took a swing for Octavia's throat but the Commander ducked and released her sword.

Krista lunged forward as the sword fell beneath the weight of her boot and Octavia rallied.

Springing up behind Krista, Octavia landed a solid punch against her jaw, knocking her head to the side. Krista winced as she felt the pain travel down the side of her neck.

Her vision went blurry for a second when she felt movement beneath her boot.

Octavia had pulled her sword free and had raised it towards Krista's head.

Holding up her own sword a few inches in front of her face, Krista blocked Octavia's sword and, for a second, they remained there staring at each other.

Krista saw a hint of uncertainty lingering in the depths of Octavia's eyes. It spurred her on and she arced her blade between them, sending Octavia's sword to the side.

Lifting her leg, Krista kicked Octavia in the abdomen, winding her only for a moment as her arms spread to the side in shock.

Jumping into the air once more, Krista kicked Octavia in the face, stunning her, before she flipped over the top of her head and kicked her in the back on her way down.

Spinning on the spot, Krista roundhouse kicked her once more. Octavia stumbled a few steps as she regained her composure and twirled with her sword in her hand.

Krista felt the hint of a smile returning to her lips as her heart pumped loudly in her chest.

Bending slightly at the waist, Krista raised her hand to Octavia as if to say 'come on'.

Octavia advanced and drove Krista back a dozen steps as their swords clashed together, sending out cracks of what sounded like thunder around them.

A thin layer of sweat had broken out on Krista's forehead as she focused completely on Octavia, the strikes of her sword vibrating up her arm.

Krista turned to her side as she blocked a strike from above when Octavia produced a dagger from beneath her robes and slashed the Gladiatrix across the back of her thigh.

"Krista!" Leonidas shouted.

Exclaiming in shock, Krista's leg buckled beneath her and Octavia capitalised on her advantage. Lowering her blade, Octavia took the time to land a few punches into the soft belly of her opponent.

Krista gasped as each landing of Octavia's fist sent a new sharp pain across the stomach, her body curling forward to protect itself.

With a swift uppercut to Krista's jaw, Krista stumbled back a few steps as she tasted blood on her tongue.

Krista risked a glance at her leg as she wiped blood from her bottom lip.

Once she did, the pain demanded to be felt. Blood was slowly trickling down the back of her leg and her flesh was cut open a few inches.

Octavia was stood a short distance away from her, now holding a sword and a dagger, and she appeared to have no qualms about the obvious advantage.

Krista made a show of placing her full weight on the leg and standing tall as she muttered under her breath, "Romans."

Octavia this time waited for Krista to attack.

Stepping forward, conscious to keep from limping, Krista leaned back to avoid the swing of Octavia's dagger only to reach out with her blade and block the gladius from ripping open her other leg.

Elbowing Octavia in the chest with her elbow, Krista realised that she would have to resort to dirty tactics if she was going to win this.

Octavia, as she had already proved, was not prepared to adhere to the rules of a fair fight and Krista should not have been surprised.

Following the elbow to her chest, Krista landed her fist against the Commander's nose, startling her back a few steps.

Octavia made a lazy swipe with the dagger.

Krista blocked it with her forearm before she hooked her ankle around Octavia's and swiped her feet out from beneath her.

Octavia landed painfully on her back, her eyes shut as her sword fell from her fingers and rolled a few feet away.

Walking up to her, Krista had drawn level with her torso when Octavia's eyes flew open and she stretched out her arm, her fingers still clasped around her dagger.

Krista pressed Octavia's arm back to the ground with her boot upon her wrist.

"Octavia-" Krista leaned over to speak when Octavia reached out and gripped her arm.

Planting her boot against Krista's abdomen, Octavia pulled Krista down with her arm as she simultaneously kicked Krista over the top of her head.

Krista flipped over the top of Octavia and landed with a loud thud upon her back.

Wincing against the pain that jolted up her spine, Krista opened her eyes and began to move when she looked up and saw the tip of a blade mere centimetres from her nose.

Krista looked along the razor-sharp edge of the blade to see Octavia above her, stood just outside of Krista's reach.

Her chest was rising and falling in rapid gasps as she struggled to get enough air into her lungs.

"Krista!" Leonidas was shouting but he could not get to her.

Krista just continued to stare at the blade above her. Octavia just had to lean forward, sink it into her chest and Krista would see Artorius again.

Krista closed her eyes in resignation of this fact when she opened them again found herself focusing on a spot behind Octavia's shoulder where four birds were flying in an arrowhead across the sky free.

* * *

Their party travelled fast through the mountains despite their large number.

The only sound was of the horses' hooves as they pattered the ground, stampeding back towards the battle.

They came to a halt upon the same cliff Polonius had stopped on his way to the port.

"We are too late."

Polonius drew his horse up beside his own and gazed down over the battlefield that had descended into silence.

Bodies were strewn across the fields like they did in any war but Polonius was drawn towards the gathering of soldiers in the centre of the field.

It was not regular for a Roman army to congregate in such a manner and that was when he spotted the clearing in the middle where two figures seemed to be fighting.

Polonius recognised the figures immediately, "There is still time to stop this, sire. We must hurry."

* * *

The birds seemed to be flying slowly above her allowing Krista time to gaze upon them in wonderment.

Four birds; Artorius, Cato, Frieda and Diomed.

They soared peacefully through the sky, their wings only flapping occasionally, to carry them further into the receding horizon.

Krista felt tears fill her eyes but she could not help but think that she was being left behind however, seeing this gave her resolution.

She needed to win this; she needed to protect her son and Frieda's daughter. She needed to protect the family that she had left and all the other families that now resided, trapped, in the fort.

"Goodbye-" Octavia raised her sword.

"No!" Leonidas screamed.

"-Krista," Octavia's sword dropped towards Krista's chest.

Looking back at Octavia, Krista reached up and clasped the blade between her palms when it was inches from her face.

Her hands were lying flat against each other as if she was in prayer, a sword blade resting between them.

Octavia's eyes widened in shock and rage and, for a few seconds, she was stunned.

Her body was once more humming with power as she curled her fingers around the blade and pushed it back towards Octavia.

The Commander's fingers released the hilt of her own blade and Krista pushed it back against her stomach before it fell to the ground.

Planting her hands behind her head, Krista pushed herself back up onto her feet and gripped Octavia by the head as she bent over to collect her sword.

Raising her leg, Krista connected her knee with the Commander's face, knocking her on her back.

The hostility in the air changed to surprise as people grappled to catch up with what had happened.

Krista glanced around for Artorius's sword and found it a few steps away.

Cartwheeling to the left, Krista felt her hand land upon the hilt of her husband's blade and as she turned to land back on her feet she curled her fingers around the blade and took it with her.

Straightening back up, Krista saw Octavia charging towards her. Her face was red from where her boots had landed against the flesh and the sight made Krista happy.

Octavia was angry as she attacked Krista, both her hands upon her blade.

"I command-" Octavia shouted as she swung her blade at Krista's neck.

Krista rolled forward and came up behind Octavia.

"-you to-" Octavia turned and arced her blade once more towards Krista.

Krista leaned back slightly as her blade missed Krista's chest by a small centimetre.

"-Die!" Octavia stepped forward too much as she jutted her sword towards Krista's abdomen.

Krista turned and watched the blade go straight past her, hitting nothing but air.

Krista glared at Octavia's words, her body flushed with pure rage and she stepped towards her.

Octavia raised her sword but Krista simply wrenched it from her grasp before flinging it over her shoulder.

Octavia's eyes widened as Krista swung the hilt of her blade across the side of her face.

"-Rome" Krista grunted as she picked Octavia back up and launched her fist into her midsection.

"-may be your mistress-" Krista's face screwed up in revulsion as Octavia leaned upon her, her mouth open against her shoulder, her arms around Krista's waist.

"-but she is not my master," Krista growled in her ear when she felt something sharp jab her in the ribs.

Krista thought nothing of it when she felt her side grow wet and cold.

Looking down at her chest between them, Krista saw the hilt of a dagger protruding from her chest.

Frowning, Krista looked up and saw Octavia smiling at her.

Octavia looked towards her men when Krista gripped her shoulder, keeping her there.

Octavia looked at her with humour but she did not see Krista's sword which was still clasped in her hand.

"This is for my family," Krista growled as she closed the space between them and ran her sword through Octavia's stomach.

Octavia gasped and collapsed against Krista as Krista twisted the blade inside her gut.

Krista looked down over Octavia's shoulder and saw the end of her sword protruding from the Commander's back.

The silence as Octavia died on her shoulder was broken by the sound of Leonidas calling her name in victory.

Krista felt herself take a gigantic breath of relief as she pulled her sword out of Octavia's body and let the Commander drop to the ground.

The Gladiatrix stepped over the Commander's dead body and turned towards Leonidas who had broken through the line of stunned soldiers and was hurrying over to her.

Krista smiled at him but as she turned to face him fully Leonidas saw the dagger in her ribs and he froze to the spot.

It felt as if his body had been dumped in an ice lake as he saw her standing there happy, and yet blood was seeping down her side.

"Krista-" Leonidas's voice caught in his throat as he took a step towards her.

However, the rest of his sentence died upon his lips when Hadrian spoke from beside Octavia's body where he had crouched.

"She has murdered the Commander! Arrest her!" Hadrian was undoubtedly pointing straight at Krista.