Chapter 33

Artorius woke from his slumber on his own accord rather than to the orders of his masters, and that was true freedom.

Stretching out between the animal skins that were laid upon the floor, he reached out his arm only to find an empty space where Krista should be.

His eyes flew open as his fingers sunk into the fur and he looked around him in alarm but Krista was nowhere to be seen.

Artorius tried to persuade himself that she had simply woken earlier than usual and had gone for food but there was a knotting of unease in his stomach that would not go away.

Getting to his feet with the warmth of a new sun on his back, Artorius reached out and grabbed his sheathed sword when the sound of heavy and fast footprints reached his ears.

Turning to towards the sound, Artorius saw Cato sprinting through the forest and the look of terror in his eyes did not head the sick feeling in Artorius’s stomach.

“Cato?” Artorius reached out a hand to steady the man as he almost hurtled into him, his skin damp with sweat, “What is it?”

“They’re gone,” Cato looked at Artorius as he bent at the waist, gulping at the air.

“What do you mean they’re gone?” Artorius’s voice grew hard as he tried not to overreact but his throat was already starting to close with worry.

“I went to see Leonidas but he was not there,” Cato panicked, “So I went to look for him and found that Frieda and Krista have also disappeared.”

Artorius’s jaw clenched in anger as he looked around him, as if he would see her simply a few feet away and Cato had been mistaken.

But he didn't see her.

Turning to look at the tree branches above him, Artorius wondered if she had climbed up there for some privacy but they held only their secrets.

What business did Krista, Frieda and Leonidas have by going off together?

For a fleeting moment Artorius feared that they had abandoned them.Artorius knew that Krista hated so many people following her and Frieda was much like Krista in that she appreciated her privacy.

But one look at Cato and he knew that Leonidas would never leave his side unless it was for a good reason and, if he thought about it more, Artorius would like to believe that Krista felt the same about him.

“That’s not all,” Cato took in a deep breath as he straightened his back and stared at Artorius, “Romans have been spotted near the boundaries.”

“Did they see us?” Artorius asked, his mind switching back to protecting the people. He hated not knowing where Krista was but he knew he could not go after her.

“I don’t think they needed to." Cato replied cryptically.

“What do you mean?” Artorius focused only on the tremble in Cato’s voice as he seemed unable to utter the words, “Cato, what is it?”

“I followed one of the Roman’s scouting parties to see where they came from and I . . .” Cato let out a sigh of disbelief as he looked at the ground.

“Cato?” Artorius whispered.

“There’s an army of two hundred soldiers waiting to attack us.”

Artorius’s heart suddenly dropped into his stomach when Cato’s words fully began to sink in.

Everything around him grew blurry as the weight of over a hundred lives suddenly fell on his shoulders.

* * * A day later * * *

The walk into the capital was the longest Krista had ever taken as dozens of slaves looked down on her in condemnation from where they were nailed to the crosses, accusing her of not saving them.

But Krista vowed, as she looked upon each and every one, that she would avenge them.

The closer they got to the gate the more crowded it became as everybody was bottlenecked into a simple seven foot wide gap that was heavily guarded.

Archers lined the top wall as foot soldiers checked everybody that passed through.

For a second, Krista’s thoughts turned to Artorius. It would now be the second day he had woken up without her by his side and she only prayed that he remembered her with good thoughts as she now set out to fulfil her destiny.

“Oi, you! You there!”

The sound of people shouting drifted over their heads as they pushed on through the crowd, dragging a heavy Leonidas behind them when Krista’s arm was suddenly gripped and yanked to the side.

Refraining herself from killing the man that touched her, Krista looked up to see the man in charge of the soldiers that guarded the gate. Krista felt her heart palpitate as her looked her straight in the eye. 

“Are you deaf, soldier!?” The man barked at her; only snippets of his strong features visible through the helmet she wore, “You answer when your superior calls to you, understand?”

“Sir,” Krista deepened her voice as she bowed her head in apology, relieved that he did not rcognise her. 

“Who is this?” The man turned and stood in front of Leonidas, “He looks like one of those fools that fought for that whore Gladiatrix.”

Krista arched an eyebrowat his comment but Leonidas was not so easily constrained as he shouted obscenities at the soldier.

“Still your tongue!” Frieda shouted at Leonidas as she laid a punch into his jaw, pretending that she was indeed a roman soldier, although something told Krista that Frieda did not mind this part of the disguise.

“Apologies, Sir,” Frieda said with a deep rough voice as the man stared at her in peculiarity, “I have been wanting to do that ever since we captured him.”

“Well, you can have the honour of nailing him to the cross,” The leader smiled at Frieda as he liked the bloodshed, “The Empress’s orders.All of those associated with the rebellion are to be crucified.”

Frieda and Krista shared a frantic look of panic, “Sir, I think the Empress would like to see this slave herself.”

“I just told you what the Empress wanted,” He growled at Krista, “Now see to it.”

“Sir,” Krista coughed as she put her foot down, trying to save her friend’s life before she was ordered to hammer a nail into his palms, “This is Leonidas, the slave that orchestrated the escape. A close friend to the whore Gladiatrix.”

Upon hearing the Leonidas’s name, the man turned back to face her slowly, his eyes flickering between her and the slave, unsure of what to do.

Such a slave was an important capture and yet if he disturbed the Empress he was likely to have his own head on a spit.

Not about to risk his life for a slave, he ordered Krista and Frieda to continue on with their journey.

“The Empress resides in the war room of the palace,” The man informed them, “Take the southern stairs into the palace and then along the arcade; it should be directly on your left. Take heed.”

Krista thanked him for the directions, she feared they would have been walking around the palace all day trying to find Pompeia.

Krista and Frieda bowed their heads in acknowledgement of his superiority and pushed on, through the gates and straight into Rome.

Krista heard Leonidas take a deep breath beside them as they left the soldiers behind only to be confronted with dozens more as they advanced through the city.

Once they were nestled within a crowd, their words unable to be overheard by any guards, Leonidas turned to Frieda and said, “You punch like a girl.”

Frieda turned and snapped her teeth at him in annoyance but Krista allowed herself a small smile before they plunged into darkness.

* * *

“Everyone has accepted your invitation,” Germanus announced his arrival as he stepped into the war room, dressed in his black robes of mourning.

“Of course they have,” Pompeia replied absentmindedly as she gazed down at the map upon her desk, a smile upon her lips as she heard the report from the new Commander of her Roman Legion; Gaius Aurelius.

“And you are sure,” Pompeia ignored Germanus and turned to her new most trusted advisor, “That Krista’s army is there?”

Pompeia looked upon the beauty as she stood across the room and poured herself a drink that Pompeia would gladly part with for such solid gold to her cause.

“I am sure, Empress,” The black haired, bronzed skin Gladiatrix returned to Pompeia’s side, “Although there is not much of an army but a mass of feeble slaves that cannot think for themselves.”

Pompeia’s mood was increasing every second as her army surrounded the camp that lay just two days ride from here. Soon her reign will be rid of these rebels and she would be free to rule the empire.

And more importantly she shall be rid of the vixen that was Krista.

*  

“They won’t know what hit them and soon, your grace, you shall have Krista’s head on a spike outside your gates.”

Frieda, Krista and Leonidas all stood outside the room and listened to the conversation as it felt like ice was piercing their hearts.

Krista was having a hard time controlling her rage as Pompeia spoke of how she was now surrounding Artorius and the camp.

“It will be over in a matter of minutes. I shall bring you the rebel’s head as a gift myself.” A new, deeper voice spoke and Krista could no longer contain herself.

“The rebel,” Krista shouted as she made her entrance, throwing her helmet to the ground and drawing her sword as she headed straight for Pompeia, “Shall bring you her head herself.”

Krista felt the shock and tension ripple through the room as if an explosion had just occurred.

Wrapping her fingers around Pompeia’s thin throat, she realised that it would not take much to squeeze the life out of her, as Krista pointed the tip of her sword against her flesh for good measure.

Frieda and Leonidas, now armed with his sword that Frieda had carried for him, marched in behind her.

But Krista only had eyes for Pompeia as she saw the shock and outrage simmering in her eyes.

Pompeia was staring at the one woman she had been trying to capture, who she thought was in the forest with Artoirus, but was instead right beneath her nose in her own capital.

“However," Krista hissed, "my head shall remain attached to my body unlike yours, Empress."

“Before you make any rash decisions,” The new voice spoke with a lightness that did not warrant the atmosphere, “You should know that if the Empress dies, so does your friend.”

"Krista . . ." Leonidas spoke her name softly, warning her. 

Krista's hand stilled as she turned towards the owner of the new voice.

He was a tall man with thick dark hair and a pleasant young face that was clean shaven.

His cerulean blue eyes pierced into hers as Krista realised that he had his own hand wrapped around Frieda’s throat.

“Kill her Krista,” Frieda hissed as the man’s hand tightened, yanking her back. 

“May I introduce the new Commander,” Pompeia smirked at Krista, knowing that Krista could never willingly let a friend die, “Gaius Aurelius.”

“I have heard a lot about you,” Gaius spoke to Krista as if they were talking over a meal rather than holding each other's friends at knife point.

“I can’t say the same,” Krista growled.

“But you have heard of me,” A person suddenly stepped from the shadows and it felt as if someone had punched Krista in the gut. 

“Rheia,” Krista’s fingers tightened around Pompeia’s throat as she imagined she was strangling Rheia instead. 

“I’m happy to see that you remember my name,” Rheia smirked as she walked around the room, her eyes taking in Leonidas and Frieda carefully, “You can scream it when we kill your little friends.”

“You told them?” Krista gazed upon Rheia in rage.

“Oh yes,” Rheia laughed, “I told them everything; from where your precious camp was to who was guarding it and how you would defend it. Although, I was wishing you would be there to see it.”

Rheia shrugged, "Oh well, it looks like I'll have to kill you myself."

“They’ll be massacred!” Frieda screeched at Rheia, fighting against Gaius as she tried to reach for Rheia.

But Krista was calmer than she imagined she would be. Maybe Krista had been betrayed too many times that it was no longer a shock to her.

“You need to look at your friends a bit closer, Krista,” Pompeia taunted but Krista ignored her.

“Why, Rheia?” Krista watched the girl she had saved in the arena and began to question her actions, “You were free. Why did you come back?"

“Free!?” Rheia spun to face Krista, her eyes shining with rage and her brow furrowing, “You call being hunted by Roman’s as free!? Besides,” Rheia shook her head, calming herself, “They offered me money and I promised you, did I not, that I would finish our last battle,”

“You’re a fool Rheia,” Krista chuckled, “The moment you turn your back they’ll run a sword through your back, isn’t that right Pompeia?” Krista looked at the Empress, starting to know how her mind worked.

Rheia didn’t respond.

“You silly little girl,” Leonidas growled at Rheia, his thoughts turning to Cato who was in the camp with Artorius.

Rheia looked at him blankly.

“You know too much.” Leonidas explained it for her.

“On the contrary,” Pompeia worked to keep Rheia on her side, “Rheia has been given a place in my army. She shall be rewarded for her role in bringing the rebellion to a halt,”

“Call them off!” Krista turned her sword horizontally and pressed the blade against Pompeia’s throat as she remembered the army that would decimate everything in their path, “Call them off!”

Pompeia smiled, “No, rather, I think I’ll give the order to have Artorius killed first.”

Krista felt her body begin to shake as she tried to keep from killing Pompeia, aware that if she harmed Pompeia then Frieda would be killed.

“And then maybe I'll tell them to kill Cato next,” Pompeia flickered her gaze over to Leonidas, remembering the name that Rheia had told her.

“You bitch!” Leonidas shouted at Pompeia as he guarded a black-robed man.

“You’re evil,” Krista whispered, “And you’ll burn in Tartarus for what you’ve done.”

“Maybe, but not today,” Pompeia smiled, “Because you’re not going to kill me, not when I can still call off the attack and not when Gaius has your dear friend.”

Krista hated it but Pompeia was right; Krista could not kill her when she held so many lives in her hands.

The selfish act of Krista would condemn the lives of others.

“If you hurry,” Pompeia murmured, “You could still reach them in time to die with them.”

Pompeia was beginng to try Krista’s patience.

“Or,” Pompeia arched a single eyebrow, “You can join the winning side, and live.”

The idea alone turned Krista seething with anger, “What is freedom worth if you do not fight for those you love?”

“Love?” Pompeia searched Krista’s eyes, “So you will go to your death for a man who betrayed you?”

“He didn’t betray me,” Krista was slowly starting to realise the truth, “I betrayed him, but that won’t happen again."

Pompeia lost her smile as Krista once again denied her what she wanted.

Taking a step back, Krista released Pompeia but kept her sword raised against an attack.

Looking towards Gaius Aurelius, Krista held her breath as he kept his fingers tightened around Frieda's throat, applying gentle pressure.

Krista clenched her jaw, ready to attack when he uncurled his fingers and Frieda’s body dropped to the ground, her arm reaching out to grab her sword before she stumbled to Krista’s side.

“This isn’t over,” Gaius sheathed his sword in good nature, “We shall meet upon the field of battle one day and it will be there where I strike your head from your shoulders.”

Krista pointed her sword at him, “I’ll hold you to it,” before she turned to Pompeia, “We shall meet again,”

Pompeia could only watch Krista with anger as they retreated from the room and hurried back through the palace.

“You should have killed her,” Frieda coughed as they hurtled through the streets.

Krista said nothing as her mind and heart was overcome with a fierce need to reach Artorius’s side, a fire she shared with Leonidas, as they raced through the capital.

But none of them could escape the fact that even if they travelled on the fastest horses in the empire, they would never reach the camp in time.