A Sword Of Wrath, Book I - K. E. MacLeod (nonfiction book recommendations .TXT) 📗

Decanus, arm yourself and go put an end to this... whatever he is." He motioned for the Orator to announce the new fight.

The Decanus whispered to Euric as left the box, "You will pay for this, lanista. I will make sure of it!"

Euric shrugged sheepishly, "You have the gods on your side, you can't lose!"

As the new fight was announced, the crowd's electricity shifted. Those wealthy Lycanians who had just cheered for the victory of Juko now cheered for the Decanus, while the poorer citizens retained their loyalty to the N’bari warrior, seeing his possible win as a triumph over the tyranny that had made their lives so miserable in the last years.

The Decanus emerged into the arena, his familiar helm shining beneath the sun as the crowd jumped to its feet again. After Kai was safely away from the arena, Juko squared himself before the other man and stared into the ice-blue eyes of his brother's killer.

The Orator continued, "Cheer for your champion, Lycania! Choose your side! Bestial or Lycanian! Who will win? Although, I have a feeling that the certainty of this fight was written in the stars long ago!"

The Decanus said nothing as he pulled out his gladius and gripped its hilt.

The priestess was called upon again to drop another silken square and as it floated into the arena, the Decanus charged at Juko. He lifted his gladius into the air, prepared to end the fight in one strike but as he came nearer, Juko slammed an elbow into his face, breaking his nose.

The Decanus fell to the ground instantly as his eyes watered and his face filled with blood. He roared and held his nose as he stood. After he recovered briefly, he then charged at Juko again, this time swinging his blade wildly. Juko simply stared down his opponent and as he had with T'tembo once before, spun out of the way as he came near and threw himself upon the Decanus' back. The Decanus began to flail wildly as Juko wrapped his left arm around the man's neck and grabbed on to the bicep of his own right arm.

"Who are you?" the Decanus struggled to ask as his face began to turn scarlet and he fell to his knees.

Juko spoke into the Decanus' ear, "I am Juko, son of Mutebe, chieftain of the Grasshopper Clan and brother to Suna - an innocent man murdered by your own hand."

The Decanus tried to laugh as saliva sputtered from his lips, "That mongrel cried and wet himself at death!"

Juko couldn't help the rage that flowed through him at the other man's words, even as he knew he was lying. He pulled his arms free and then snapped the Decanus' neck in one swift move, killing him instantly.

Juko shoved his body into the dust and stood staring at it as the crowd sat in stunned silence.

Euric ran to the edge of the box seat, shouting, "Run, Juko, now! Get out!"

Upon hearing the lanista's voice, Juko seemed to wake from his stupor as he grabbed the Decanus' weapon and soon sped from the arena. Three guards set upon him as he ran but he was able to fight his way through and continue on, disappearing down one of the secret entrances before another group of guards found him.

Meanwhile, back in the arena, the crowds in the upper tiers were shouting and applauding with such exuberance that those on the bottom tiers had become afraid. In a panic, the wealthier classes along the bottom began to run towards the exits but as too many tried to leave at once, bystanders were pressed up against walls or thrown down onto the ground and trampled. The upper tiers then became so emboldened by the lower tiers' own folly that they began to climb down the stands and attack them in a furious rage.

All of Odalia became chaos.

Across the Amphitheater, in the Emperor's box the Centurion barked orders to the guards, commanding them to regain control of the people as he secured the Emperor away safely via an underground passageway, which led directly to the Palace. He then ordered that the lanista be arrested immediately but when he turned, Euric had already disappeared.

The Vandal had wisely run down his own secret entrance while everyone else’s attention was on other events. Once down below, he had doubled back to the gladiator’s waiting room, grabbing Posides as he did and was very thankful that the guards he passed along the way had not recognized him. He and Posides then headed for another secret entrance that would lead them to the catacombs and where they would hopefully meet up with Juko, which was part of the original plan. But, instead of finding Juko, they came across both T'tembo and Felix, neither of whom had left Odalia yet. A few feet later, the found Juko at last, his armor destroyed and his face covered in blood.

"Juko! What has happened, son?"

He shook his head, "It's not my blood. I was attacked by the guards."

"Where you followed?"

"No, I made sure of it."

They continued their descent into the underground, heading towards the catacombs of the Temple of the Two Brothers. As they came closer to it, Euric slowed down, breathless, "Wait, men - I need to catch my breath! I am not fit as I used to be." He gasped and sputtered leaning against the earthen walls for support, "Besides, these tunnels are unknown to anyone except the priestesses of the Temple and me, we are in no real danger at the moment."

As Euric rested, Juko looked upon T’tembo and Felix, "Why are you here? Why didn't you take your freedom?"

T'tembo spoke, "Because we were planning a rescue mission should you have been arrested."

Juko nodded as a smile touched his eyes, "Thank you, my friends." He then turned to Euric, "Where are we?"

Euric stood up from the wall, "The hypogeum of the Temple. Your brother's body is resting there, just under that arch that leads to the next room." He put his hand on Juko's shoulder, "Go on, son. We will be behind you."

Juko inhaled deeply as he walked ahead and entered into the next chamber. He looked up, amazed by the height of the underground ceilings, which were braced with elaborately carved arches. There were braziers hanging down before a dozen or so niches that had been dug into the walls and within each niche was a body, wrapped in muslin. All around them stood statues representing the once living as small piles of incense burned before them.

As the others entered, they saw a woman clad in the white robes of the priestesses of the Temple kneeling every few feet, bowing her head in benediction.

"High Priestess!" Euric shouted, shattering the silence of the sacred room. "I have brought Suna's brother to you!"

The woman finished her prayer, then arose and greeted Juko, "Hello, my son." Her voice was soft and comforting as she continued, "I am sorry that we must meet under such conditions. Follow me and I will bring you to your brother." She then led him to a body wrapped in muslin in the same manner as the others but laid out upon a nearby slab with fresh cut herbs around his body.

"He has been preserved in our traditions. I apologize if our ways have caused any offense to your gods."

He shook his head slowly, "No, High Priestess. You have done well and I am grateful."

He looked upon his brother's body and felt a deep sadness move within him that was so great that he thought he might collapse beneath its weight. For even wrapped as it was, Juko knew the body before him was Suna's. He was almost too long for the slab and his shoulders barely fit the width of the table. "My brother...," he said quietly.

Euric spoke softly, "Juko, if you would like us to leave you alone-"

"No." He said, then looked up at the others. "No, do not leave."

"What will you do, now? Take him back to your father?"

He shook his head again, "No. Now that I see him here, as he is, I know that I cannot face my father." He glanced at the High Priestess, "Can you get him back to Noba for me? I will pay."

She bowed, "I will see what can be done, my son. I have many connections here in Odalia but money is of no concern to me."

"Then please return him to my father - along with a letter detailing all that has happened." His eyes began to glisten, "Tell him of Suna's wife... and their child... and write in it that I, his son Juko, will continue to search for them. If there is a chance of them being alive, I will find them." He looked back at his compatriots, "But I will not stop there. I am going to stay in Lycania for another reason as well, if you wish to join me."

They looked at one another in surprise as he continued, "I have decided that the Quintus Dynasty must come to an end. I will stay and fight the bloodline that now sits upon the throne of Lycania until there are no more left. Will you join me?"

T'tembo spoke first, "Yes. I stand by you, Juko, even in this."

Felix nodded, "Aye, I stand with you as well."

Euric looked at Posides, who had maintained a terrified look during the entire journey, and shrugged, "I don't know what good we can do for you but, since I'm fairly certain I am out of a job, we'll join you as well, Juko. I have a place out in the hills of Vanizia to the northeast. We can stay there as you make your plans."

Juko smiled slightly, "I fear that you will have forfeited your Rudus."

"Yes," he sighed. "I realize that but what good did it do me anyway? I'm a Bestial like the rest of you. I was never truly free."

"Then thank you... my friend."

 

***

 

The Centurion led Tiberius and Spurious through the underground tunnels, towards the Palace.

Spurious held his father's hand, "The curia father. We must go there!"

"He's right, sire," the Centurion said. "It is the safest place in Odalia at the moment!"

"I care not where we go as long as someone brings me my powders for this headache!"

They continued to run towards the curia and the Emperor's vision became spotty before his eyes. As they neared the entrance that would take them up to the curia, they could hear the sounds of the crowds rioting outside the Palace. "Close the doors to the Palace!" Tiberius shouted to the Centurion. "Call in the guards and go into the Ala District and slaughter them all! Have them kill every last one of them! Even the rats! I want their blood to flow into the streets like water!"

"Yes sir," the Centurion said as he ushered the Emperor and his son into the curia. Once inside, Spurius ran to the windows and peered out as if he were looking for someone.

Tiberius stood in the center of the room, his face twisting, "Can you hear them son?"

"Hear who, Father?"

"The Sirens! They are screaming their songs in my head!" Tiberius put his hands to his ears and squeezed, "Oh gods, I can't make them stop!"

Spurious ran past his father, ignoring his lamentations, and looked around the throne, "She's not here! She said she'd be here!"

Tiberius fell to his knees and shouted, "The screams! Can't you hear them? Why won't they stop?"

Spurious stood over his father and looked at him curiously, "I can make it stop, Father. She showed me how and it's very easy. Do you wish me to stop it for you?"

Tiberius grasped his son’s clothes, the whites of his eyes becoming red as his pupils became pinpoints, "Please, my son! Yes! Release me from this pain! Make them stop!"

 

***

 

Not far from the city's walls, Timonus had just decided that it was time for the Lupa Faction to strike. But as they started to march towards Odalia's front gates, Camilla stopped them.