A Dragon Rises: Gladiator
Reeks: A Dragon Rises
Dale R. Boyd
- The
- gladiator
- slave
- pens
- of
- Thanus,
- capital
- of
- Byrunthus,
- were
- renowned
- throughout
- the
- Southern
- Kingdoms.
- A
- life
- wearing
- the
- iron
- collar
- was
- a
- life
- unforgiving
- and
- harsh,
- and
- often
- brutally
- short.
- There
- was
- only
- one
- rule
- within
- the
- arena:
- kill
- or
- be
- killed.
- It
- was
- into
- such
- a
- grim
- existence
- a
- young
- farm
- boy
- named
- Titus
- found
- himself
- thrust.
- He
- was
- the
- youngest
- slave
- ever
- sent
- to
- the
- pens
- in
- Jax's
- long
- memory
- as
- master
- of
- combat.
- A
- slave
- himself,
- it
- was
- Jax's
- responsibility
- to
- train
- the
- new
- slaves
- in
- the
- ways
- of
- sword
- and
- shield,
- of
- spear
- and
- axe.
- He
- would
- train
- this
- new
- lad
- as
- well,
- but
- there
- was
- something
- about
- Titus
- that
- pulled
- at
- a
- part
- of
- his
- heart
- that
- Jax
- thought
- long
- calloused
- over.
- Yes,
- he
- would
- teach
- the
- boy
- to
- become
- a
- killer
- of
- men
- because
- he
- had
- no
- choice,
- but
- he
- would
- fight
- for
- the
- spirit
- of
- the
- lad
- as
- well.
- He
- could
- not
- strike
- the
- chains
- from
- Titus'
- body,
- but
- he
- could
- strive
- to
- keep
- the
- boy's
- soul
- free.
- And
- in
- so
- doing,
- the
- fabled
- master
- of
- combat
- of
- the
- greatest
- gladiator
- stable
- in
- the
- West
- would
- start
- a
- lost
- and
- lonely
- young
- boy
- down
- the
- grim,
- often
- violent
- road
- to
- becoming
- a
- hero
- that
- would
- change
- the
- course
- of
- the world.
