Nothing is easy, nothing is impossible

From that moment on, Hanna and Sara were highly respected among the slaves of Batiatus' house. Being able to tame the "wild beast" had brought them a lot of fame.

A fortune considering how clumsy they were in carrying out the various daily tasks.

Now they were all a little more patient!

At the moment they were arguing with a candlestick. It was already difficult to have to place the candles inside the tiny circular base, but being this different, it was necessary to insert them in the horizontal spikes that were on top.

Too bad that, as always, the candles would break with their every attempt!

Sara had managed to put one successfully, while Hanna found herself with half the size of candles as they were at the beginning ..... A laugh made them turn annoyed, it was already humiliating, better not to make it worse!

Diona, a girl who must have been their age (from when they stopped aging that is about twenty-six years) and who had grown up there, decided to help them without asking.

"It almost seems like you've never done such a job!" From the expression on her face, the friends realized that they had misinterpreted the laugh of before, she was not friendly at all, quite the opposite!

"It is so! Our previous master used us only to satisfy Azrael!” Hanna replied trying to remain impassive as she had seen a certain elf do.

“Then stop behaving like little girls! Friendship is a privilege that a prostitute cannot afford!" Diona said angry.

Sara grabbed her friend by the arm preventing Katrina from breaking loose "What do you know ......" she was dumbfounded when she didn't find a right topic to argue with, but as soon as she saw Naevia, another peer, she had the lighting "...... you warn us about something you're guilty of too!" She said pointing to her friend.

"Diona! Wait up!" Naevia called her when she saw the other about to leave "Are you okay? We didn't talk to each other anymore, we laughed at it together!" she pointed out with a sad expression on his face.

"Now you give me orders too? Will you decide who will have me too? Don't believe you are superior to me!" Diona replied before turning around and leaving.

"Forgive me!" Naevia apologized "Lately she's not in herself!" She said before following her friend. Hanna and Sara stood watching her as she disappeared into a room.

"She has something in mind!" Said the first.

“We have to find out what!" Said the other.

"So what are we still doing here?" Hanna asked. Trying to move nimbly like two ninjas and hoping to be invisible like Bilbo with the ring of power, the girls lurked behind the door, unable not to push each other to be able to peek through the crack.

Naevia and Diona were making peace. Very well!

This was true friendship!

Naevia was offering her friend something. Very strange!

As soon as they heard the word "fugitive" everything became hopelessly frightening and wrong! Hanna entered the room like a fury, but being behind Sara, she sent her face down.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked fearfully. Diona and Naevia passed a first moment of hesitation and decided it was better to deny everything "I simply reminded her that we are friends and she must not go away because I will always be there for her!" She said looking at her friend with sincere love.

She spoke the truth with that sentence, but not in giving the answer!

"We won't say anything! We just want to help you!" Sara said that she had got up and as if nothing had happened, she had joined them.

"I have to go! If I stay soon they will kill me!” Diona confessed destroyed.

"What are you saying? We have been Azrael's lovers for a long time and we are still here!” Hanna said knowing full well that if the girl had made such a choice, she would have been sentenced to death.

This was how the Romans treated the rebels or fugitives.

“If you want you don't have a modicum of dignity and let others trample on you is not my problem! I can not! The cheerfulness I perceive around me is a constant reminder of what I have lost!” Diona attacked them before bursting into tears.

"I took some money from Gaia's clothes!" Naevia began to explain "The friend of the mistress killed by that monster of Tullio for revenge?" Hanna asked, which was a landslide with the names. "Exact! Diona will pay for a ride!" The girl concluded.

"I don't recommend doing such a thing!" Hanna declared.

"You talk because you don't have to go from one man to another or perform for the pleasure of that bitch!" Diona accused her.

"So are you with .... us?" Sara asked herself "What the hell are you talking about?" Hanna asked, startled and furious.

“If Azrael keeps it under her protection ....." "NO!" Diona's outbreak interrupted his reasoning to say the least brilliant.

“I do not want to satisfy the depraved desires of noble lords .... and do you think I would continue in front of that heartless wild beast?" she asked offended.

"Well!" Hanna hissed livid "Then go die killed!" she snarled before going out like a fury.

Sara sighed. Her friend didn't mean it. Not at all.

But recently she could say that the elf had become a very sensitive topic.

“If you leave now they will notice your absence!" she observed recognizing that there was nothing he could do to dissuade Diona.

“Once the recruits have been branded, the owner will organize fights to test the real value of men! Then she will run away!" Naevia replied confident that everything would be fine.

“Good luck then!" Sara said to the girl before going to find Hanna and put up with the outburst that would appease her anger!



*



It was dawn and yet for the recruits this made no difference.

They were walking around in the clearing, their backs bent under the weight of the wooden beam which they had been forced to carry for most of the night.

A whiplash made them stop.

"That's enough! Now eat, then the training will begin! " Oenomaus said.

The insecure Master was gone. Now there was a strong man, whose gaze intimidated anyone who looked at him.

"Do we have to train now?" Milo asked as he placed his hands on his knees, bent over with fatigue. "Are you pulling back?" Atticus provoked him "When I defeat Gannicus you will stop making fun of me!" He bragged.

"I do not believe......! Why Gannicus?" Asked the brother with a provocative smile.

They took breakfast without problems, having the confidence of Azrael had its advantages.

Above all because they didn't have to collect rice from the floor like the other recruits!

"Maybe because he's the champion of this house?" Milo asked looking at him as if he wondered if he had been serious in asking that question whose answer was obvious.

"Why not him?" He asked indicating Azrael who seemed to have just returned from a refreshing bath as it was all wet, but fresh as a rose.

"Unlike you I don't do crazy things!" The boy mocked him "Ninth, never be!" Atticus joked.

“And I can recognize my limits!" Milo answered seriously.

“If you don't try you'll never know!" The other pointed out.

“I will have improved, but fighting with him… are you joking? It disarms me after only a little while in training!” The young man began to complain.

"You look like a boy who has been denied a toy!" Atticus laughed immediately after making that comparison.

Happiness was dampened as soon as they noticed the doctore who tied a long chain to the wall, before turning to them.

"Tie it to your foot!" Oenomaus said throwing the traction ring to tie to the ankle.

The man remained frozen on the spot while Milo had the brazenness to observe the elf's reaction. Azrael was motionless.

Stand still as only he could stand, looking like a statue for real. But in his eyes one could read a clear fury that meandered under the calm expression of the face, while observing that bond so light but with an enormous symbolic weight.

"Master ...." Atticus hesitated. He knew that his father had been in chains for years, but it had been a long time since he had had to be kept on a leash.

From before she met him. Back then, when he was just five years old, the elf was free of those constraints!

The whiplash hit his ears long before the pain made him stiffen and choke out. It had hit him in the chest!

Azrael and Milo jumped to their feet and the guards were stopped at a nod to Oenomaus. The Doctore wanted to do it alone.

Everything had stopped. The general attention was on those three recruits who dared to challenge again, the one who commanded them.

"I didn't mean to contradict you ......" Atticus started, bowing his head to show that he recognized his superiority "But I can't do it! It would attack me!" He justified himself.

Azrael looked at him badly. And if for many it seemed that the elf was agreeing with him, Atticus knew that his father was struck by his words.

He would never hurt him! When he had lost control a few days earlier, a push was what he had received. He must have considered himself lucky!

"You will obey my orders, or I will detach the flesh from your limbs!" Growled Oenomaus.

“His woman! You can do it! She is the only one who can touch it without suffering the consequences!" tried again Atticus.

The Doctore seemed to think about it, but eventually accepted.

It was better not to pull too tight!

And if that girl had helped him tame that wild beast, he would have been satisfied.

“You look like Jupiter throwing stars from the sky!" Gannicus said in surprise that the angel of death had not reacted.

"Merit of the words of a devoted wife!" The Doctore replied "Now go back to training and never be in the shade again! We will have missed the final challenge, but that doesn't mean you can laze around!" Oenomaus said before going to speak with the guards to send the elf woman down.



*



"But look at those!" "Who are you talking about?" Hanna asked her friend.

"Gaia died and they passed him off for an accident!" Sara protested.

“Listen, Tullio and the master's son already hate each other! Tito did well to spread the false news around, otherwise this house would fall into misery and we would risk being sold!" Hanna said as she poured hot water into the tub.

They had to prepare a nice bath, for those who had not yet understood!

"That man is a murderer! Doesn't it seem unfair to you that he's not blamed just because he's a nobleman?" Sara asked umbrage.

“History already heard! He can afford to do so and get away with it. But why does Quintus care so much about Gannicus if he has Azrael !?” Hanna wondered.

"Let me think ...... maybe he doesn't want to sell him Gannicus because Tullio and his henchman Vezio beat him to death?" Sara asked sarcastically, remembering when they had healed the wounds of the master's son.

“So just out of spite! Very mature! However, I heard the owner telling his son that if Gannicus wins in organized fights then he can stay!" Hanna replied before pouring more water into a large pot on the fire.

"What fights?" Sara asked confused. Why was Hanna always more up to date than she was?

"After the final test tonight he will organize duels between the various men to test the value of each!" Hanna replied "Will he participate too?" Sara asked curiously.

“I do not know this!" Said her friend before welcoming the owner who had just arrived.

“You, go get my clothes in my room and wash them. They must be ready by tomorrow!" Titus said pointing to Hanna. She nodded and did as she was told even though she hated being the little washerwoman.

"Master!" A guard joined Titus before he could go undress to wash.

"What's going on?" He asked surprised. "The Master asks that Azrael's woman come down as soon as possible!" The guard said.

Titus did not seem worried and replied with extreme calm “Okay. As soon as she is free of Oenomaus to come!” He answered.

"Master!" This time it was Sara who spoke.

"What do you want?" He asked before berating himself. He was talking to a girl.

“Forgive my ways, but getting this school up and running took more than I thought. Don't be afraid, ask!" He said with a welcoming and kind look.

"I can go to Azrael!" tried to say Sara with all the conviction he possessed.

“Why haven't I thought of this before!" He answered cheerfully before nodding to the guard. “Thank you! Your loyalty is very welcome!" The elder said before heading to the bathroom.

Sara found herself in the main square and could not help looking around in confusion.

If there was a problem they closed the elf in his cell! Why was it there?

The relief made her feel lighter when she saw Oenomaus and Azrael waiting for her near the entrance leading to the cells.

The elf was sitting and seemed in a bad mood. It always looked like this, but this time it was different!

"Hi Sara. We never officially showed up! I am Oenomaus, it's a pleasure to meet you!” The Doctore said welcoming her with a big smile.

“My pleasure! How can I be useful?" The girl cheerfully asked, trying not to be influenced by the elf's growing mood.

"Put this on his foot and secure it with a padlock!" explained Oenomaus.

Only then did she notice that very long chain hanging from the wall and the traction ring that the Doctore was offering her.

She felt freezing despite the sultry heat! You didn't even have to ask why, he knew well that they feared in another violent reaction and perhaps believed that the chain could calm him instead of suffering the opposite effect.

But why did they decide to do it after so many days?

Maybe the owner wasn't sure if it was a wise idea ..... and apparently he had given the wrong answer.

Uncertain, Sara grabbed the ring and stared at it even when Oenomaus had left.

After a very long time, he sighed and decided to speak "C'est un problème qui devra être résolu!" (This is a problem that will have to be solved!) she said trying to change the subject as if they had seen each other just to chat.

"A morceau de fer est faible par rapport à mon envie de m'évader!"(A piece of iron is weak compared to my desire to escape!) Declared the elf trying to ignore the cold he felt even through the fabric of his pants.

"Alors, pourquoi êtes-vous toujours enchaîné après près de deux cents ans?"(So why are you still in chains after almost two hundred years?) Sara thought thoughtfully and then recovered "Désolé, je deviens fastidieux! Faute d'Hanna!"(Sorry, I'm getting tedious! Hanna's fault!) The girl tried to recover her fall of nervous style.

“Si nous voulons réussir, nous devons être patients et attendre le bon moment! Cela nous donnera un avantage!”(If we want to be successful we must be patient and wait for the right moment!) Azrael repeated more to himself than to others.

“Les humains ont tendance à baisser la garde lorsqu'ils se sentent en sécurité!"(This will give us an advantage! Humans tend to let down their guard when they feel secure!) He revealed with dark satisfaction.

"Vraiment? Je n'ai jamais remarqué!" (Really? I never noticed!) Sara had to recognize by standing up but feeling happy at the idea that freedom was no longer so far away.



*



The elf did not seem to be affected by the new limitation, indeed.

Often he used the chain as a weapon, to make the opponent lose his balance, to block him or simply to hit him.

It was unbelievable. Even in chains it frightened!

Atticus had a lot of fun during this new workout.

Discovering a danger in something to which he had not given the slightest weight before was intriguing, both in seeing how the father used it, and because the clash was different from the usual and he had to do more if he didn't want to end up swallowing more sand .

On the other hand Oenomaus was on them, giving orders on how to attack or how to parry.

He was testing Azrael and he knew it!

Milo was disappointed by the absence of another blast from the elf, but he thought better of it when the teacher called him to train with him.

Evening came early. It was time.

The final test would have accepted them among the brothers of the brotherhood or sent to eternal oblivion of death.

All the others were called first, that is, the two Syrians. Dagan showed he could handle it, Ashur was poor even though he still managed to pass the test.

Atticus is fighting to prove his great value against Gannicus, being welcomed with enthusiasm by all the gladiators.

The more good you were with the sword, the more esteemed and respected you were.

Despite being smaller than his challenger Barca, Milo managed to keep up with him all the time allowing the master to hold him up.

Azrael, as expected, killed his opponent with a quick and powerful blow to the head, ending the fight before it started. Once the exam was completed, as humans called it, the elf was sent to his cell.

When the chatter subsided, Azrael realized that all the gladiators had retired. He lay down on the bed thinking about the discussion with Sara.

He knew well that in addition to the propitious moment he had to look for allies in order to have even the slightest chance of being able to escape.

And this was a problem.

Being asocial gave him advantages, but penalized him since Atticus would not join him.

The sound of the keys made him sit up suddenly.

Who was? Hanna? The master? What did they want?

He stiffened when he saw two, three, no four guards enter one after the other followed by Oenomaus. "Hold him!" The Master said and the elf was quick to react.

He sent two of the men to fall one on top of the other with a violent push, sent the third against a wall with a powerful kick and the last one passed him finding himself behind him and rotating his arm breaking it.

He was unprepared for the attack by the master, who hit him with a large stick.

He fell stunned and the guards were quick to lift him and put him on his back on the bed nailing him to it.

Each man blocked a limb and the elf, stunned, could not resist. What were they doing?

In the haze that separated him from unconsciousness he saw the red-hot iron. He understood what was about to happen, but it was impossible to avoid it.

He fully returned to himself as soon as the fire touched his skin.

He stiffened, but didn't scream. He would never have given them such great satisfaction!

The red-hot piece was removed a few seconds later. And the guards almost ran out of the room. The door was closed before he could sit up.

His head throbbed, as did his right forearm.

Thranduil raised his arm looking at the B-shaped mark imprinted on his bleeding flesh. He was no longer a prisoner.

Now he was a slave!

With a primordial scream he threw the table in the room against the wall, shattering it. The wounds were fresh as was his desire for revenge.

Running away was no longer enough!

He longed for wild justice, because revenge and justice often coincide!

For Narwain and Galdor ........... the Romans would have paid!



*



The next evening they all found themselves in Azrael's cell.

Sara had been freed from her duties before because of this she was there, while her friend was finishing assisting the mistress.

Wailing preceded Hanna's entry.

She was in tears!

Thranduil was quick to hold her in a reassuring embrace by making her sit on the bed.

She looked shocked, so she decided to have her filmed without forcing her to say what had happened.

But Sara was not of the same opinion "Did they hurt you?" She asked terrified.

Her friend denied. "Tullius! ......" "What did that snake still do?" Milo asked, distraught to hear that name again.

Wasn't stealing the final clash because of the hostility towards the boss? And now? "He killed ...... Titus .... and Melitta!" Sobbed Hanna.

Sara panted in shock.

"The wife of the master Oenomaus ?!" made a terrified Attic.

“I need wine!" Sara said grabbing the glass. "No! Stop!" Hanna shouted that she had suddenly turned pale as soon as she heard what her friend had said.

She leaped over the elf's legs and hit the glass Sara held in one hand, causing it to shatter on the ground.

“A glass isn't enough to make me lose control, you know? And it was also Melitta's last gift! She had shared with me some of the wine offered by the mistress ......” She explained her friend offended and disappointed by the waste of so much good wine and distraught to remember the last exchange of words she had with her friend, shortly before.

“That wine took Melitta and the master's life!" Hanna confessed making everyone present take a hit "It's poisoned!".

“This house gets worse by the day! I can only perceive its overwhelming walls!" Milo expressed himself looking at the walls of that cramped cell, shocked that his friend had risked so much.

The Romans were dangerous among them too!

They had to be eliminated!



*



In the arena of Capua the crowd rumbled and cheered with enthusiasm.

The magnificent construction was completed and they could finally say they envied the Circus Maximus of Rome!

"Have the eyes ever enjoyed such a view?" Batiatus turned to present himself.

“The laurel wreath of the Republic!" The magistrate said praising the new arena.

"His majesty is more evident, if admired by the grandstand!" Varo stressed. A noble rich and powerful man.

"It is a great honor to be guests of Tullius!" Lucretia said.

“Honor that I feared undeserved, but he cannot take away from his desires!" Her husband pretended to flatter him.

“Strange that he is late. All he does is talk about the inauguration of the arena and he does not arrive in time for the celebrations! " The magistrate thought regretfully.

He could not have known the bitter truth. Batiatus had been cunning in leaving no trace.

"Forgive me, Tullius regrets, but he cannot be present!" Vettius said, a young boy, owner of a school of gladiators, who thanks to Tullius had tried several times to take possession of Gannicus.

"What distracts him from such a show!" Asked the annoyed magistrate.

“Business in distant Antioch! His departure was ........ unexpected! " Vettius replied with an apologetic look.

"This arena wouldn't give rise without Tullius, it wouldn't be here if it weren't for him!" Lucretia said with false gratitude. That man had paid the price for his crimes. She had been really clever in making her husband believe that it was he who had poisoned his father's wine so that he sought revenge. Even Gaia had been avenged!

“We postpone the celebrations. Now I inform the crowd!” The magistrate said but was stopped by Vettius "No, Tullius has left instructions so that the ceremony will be held even without him! This arena is a gift for his beloved city. He wouldn't be happy if his early departure interfered! Now forgive me, but I too have decided to embark on the journey!" Vettius said surprising all those present.

"I will withdraw from the modest condition of lanista!" The boy added.

“What will become of your men? They will fight today!" Cossuzio asked curiously.

"I wouldn't want to see all your work wasted, even if short!" Batiatus said holding back the satisfaction “Solonius and I can make you an offer! Divide your gladiators!" He said as if a flash idea had caught him at the moment.

“Thank you, but I have already concluded a deal with Solonio! I gave him full ownership of my school! Now if you excuse me, I really have to go! Give Solonius all possible consideration for the future!" The boy said, anxious to disappear for saving his life.

"Fortune Solonius gives you, your stable has become the largest and most well-stocked in the city!" The magistrate said with admiration.

“May the gods continue to favor me!" Solonius answered bowing his head. Batiatus followed them down the stairs, confused by the unfolding of events.

According to their pacts, after removing Tullius from the middle, avenging his father and eliminating the one who wanted to take Gannicus away from him and exclude him from the games, the boy's gladiators would have been divided!

"Why didn't you respect our agreement?" Batiatus asked seeing that his friend threatened the young Vettius if he had said a word with someone about the fate of Tullius or if he had returned to the city.

Once the problem disappeared from sight he turned to his rival "It took years and a river of blood to understand who you really are!" Solonius admitted “You only look at your personal profit, ignoring all those who show you loyalty. I thank you for opening my eyes, otherwise I would never have had the courage to betray those who professed to be friends!” He said before returning to the stands.

Batiatus swallowed the bitter morsel before following it.

The executions of rebel slaves were announced.

"I know that girl on the far left! Is not one of your Batiatus slaves? I don't remember the name!" Cossuzio said looking at the lanista.

Hanna, Sara and Naevia jumped.

"Diona" They said in chorus, unable to veil the terror in their tones because of the surprise.

"I beg your pardon Batiatus! The girl was captured this morning. Do you prefer to punish her in person?" The magistrate asked as if they were talking about a badly trained animal.

Naevia looked at her master hopefully.

While Sara and Hanna lowered their heartbroken heads. They already knew the answer!

The master was ruthless, there was no room to linger in hope.

“No, go ahead. I wish to be a warning to those who want to betray me!" Batiatus said looking at his ex-friend with fury.

Hanna clenched her jaw. It was all their fault!

If they insisted she would now be within the walls of the school. Not a step away from death!

Who knows if the girl thought the same way ?!

She was terrified, you could read it in her face, but was she proud to die in the name of the freedom she had dreamed of so much !?

Not wanting to be a prostitute anymore, was it worth such a price?



*



“The sand was wet from our first offerings of blood! But this day requires much more! And you all will have it!" The crowd cheered at the introduction of the magistrate.

Despite himself, Azrael found himself admiring the new arena.

It was truly imposing and magnificent at the same time.

And finally he would have had more space to fight instead of finding himself an arm away from the spectators.

Barahir made them exhibit in a place almost identical to this.

“The house of Solonius and the house of Batiatus will face off in a fatal clash. No mercy will be shown, there will be no clemency. And the winners will face off against each other in the last challenge! It will be a wonderful sight, an event that even the Olympians have never seen!" They also denigrated their divinities! “Glory to Capua! Glory to the city of Rome!" The magistrate concluded.

Spectators burst into a roar full of joy and expectations!

Each of them was made to fight against the men of the master's rival.

For Azrael, trained to fight for many hours in a row, it was a walk to face only two opponents in a wide span of time.

"Azrael is always praised by the people of Capua!" The magistrate said he was enjoying the scene. The elf was walking in circles with respect to the corpses of his opponents, as if he were challenging them to get up!

“We shouldn't be surprised! The gods guide his steps. By paying homage to him they will favor us!" Varo said, observing the elf too carefully.

“I fear that the numbers will be adverse in the Batiatus grand finale! Solonus has twice as many men as you!" observed Varus.

“Numbers have no meaning! It is a lesson that good Solonius is about to learn!” Batiatus admitted with ostentatious arrogance.

The noble men present laughed, enthusiastic about that rivalry that allowed the adrenaline to increase more and more.

“You who have survived up to this point, can only feel powerfully overcome by the gods themselves!" The magistrate said starting the speech that would precede the grand finale.

"I had never participated in such a fight!" Milo admitted.

“Me neither. We have to keep our guard up and cover each other if we want to get out of it alive!" Said Atticus.

Azrael made a face. Convinced that talking could not change the outcome of the clash.

And also because it was his concern to appear as sociable as possible.

He took the red ribbon that was used to distinguish the master's gladiators and tied it to his right arm.

It reminded him a lot of the auspicious gift that the girls gave to the warriors before seeing them leave for the war.

By diverting attention from the past, he decided to focus on the present and followed the others into the arena.

They were well received, especially him. But only because it belonged to another race!

He was alarmed when he saw two slaves pass by them, spilling a liquid on the ground to form a large circle in which they found themselves.

What would they invent this time?

"The fire burns in their hearts, therefore the fire will surround them during the last fight!" Azrael stiffened.

Mindful of the wounds inflicted by the fire of the dragon years ago.

“If you fall on the sand beyond the flames you will be eliminated from this challenge! If you fall inside ........ you will be eliminated from this world!" Declared the magistrate.

The elf shook his head. Trying to recover. Years had passed, he could not tremble in front of a memory!

“Break through the sky with the sound of your fury! Begin!" The order kicked off and the two groups of gladiators who were facing each other left for the attack!

Atticus found himself fighting with two men at the same time, but having practiced with his father and friend, it seemed more like a workout than a challenge.

Milo found himself with his back dirty with earth when a slave twice the size of him nudged him on the helmet, causing him to be ruined on the ground.

Azrael passed them and with a simple twist of the wrist he slaughtered the one who had dared to humiliate his son even before starting. Two swords were better than one.

Batiatus' retiarius decided to light a beautiful bonfire by setting his net on fire and throwing it at an enemy.

The elf took advantage of it and added wood by throwing his opponent into it.

Gannicus mowed enemies one behind the other and took one of the three men who surrounded him from Atticus. The man, after a first moment of hesitation, gave him a grateful look, to focus immediately on the next fight.

Milo had recovered from that disastrous beginning.

He fought agile and fast, doing somersaults and turns. Moving continuously made it difficult for the enemy to understand the next move. He was shocked to see Dagan attacking Ashur, the other Syrian.

But weren't the two friends?

No, given that the little guy had forced the boy to go with a Roman nobleman with no good intentions, making him understand the opposite.

Not knowing the language was a big disadvantage on certain occasions!

Especially if the Roman wanted to torture you!

The boy rolled his eyes. He answered himself!

Hanna tried to remain as composed as possible while Sara was so caught up in the clash that she had started to punch the air saying short words of incitement in a low voice, such as "Spread it, watch your back, ward off, sink, dodge!".

Gannicus, with a well-aimed blow to the leg, made an enemy do a somersault by finishing it as soon as it touched the ground.

Another opponent managed to sink his sword into the chest of an ally but Atticus restored order by cutting his throat.

Crixus attacked with a force never seen, but too much security got the better of him and he found himself on the ground due to a well-placed kick in the chest by an atrocious gladiator.

He managed to dodge the next two shots by rolling first right and then left, before getting back on his feet, only to receive a shield in his face.

He used the momentum to do a somersault and getting up stabbed the opponent who did not expect such a quick reaction.

Azrael fell to the ground losing his grip on his weapons when two gladiators landed him in weight. While one attempted to suffocate him, the other held the sword to inflict a fatal blow.

But these two separate moves allowed the elf to literally throw away the one who had tried to strangle him with the help of his arms and legs and roll alongside avoiding the direct blow to his stomach.

He got down on his knees, panting in the air, but was quick to dodge the one who had tried to hurt him before snatching the weapon from his hands and making it his own, beheading him.

He turned in search of the second attacker and saw him lying on the ground. He had fallen next to a broken shield that had opened a deep wound on his leg.

He crawled on his back looking at him terrified as he tried to escape. Azrael approached him slowly.

It seemed that suddenly they were alone in the arena, even though all his senses were alert. He had never felt pity, even when he knew that his victims were perfectly aware that soon they would die. That gladiator was young but older ones were rare.

A reflection of light given by the fire pointed out that the opponent had pulled out a dagger, cleverly hidden in his light armor.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Azrael, threw the sword he held in his hand against the enemy who was pierced by the blade dying even before realizing what had happened.

“Too bad you have so few Solonius men left! But not even an army can do anything against the angel of death!" Batiatus said happily that his hopes had not been in vain.

Azrael would have made him win!

He was distracted when he saw Milo kill Dagan while the second was trying to eliminate Ashur. "Batiatus' men value their master so little that they kill each other!" Solonius scoffed "They are just badly trained animals!".

Atticus reached his brother in an original way: overwhelming him for not having parried a blow that had pushed him backwards.

"Don't get involved in clashes where you have nothing to do and focus on your opponents!" He took it back.

"Dagan insulted Azrael, I simply took an advantage when he lowered his guard to take revenge on his former friend!" The other was justified, satisfied with having helped to kill that stinking bison. That conversation distracted them a little because an opponent hit them with a long stick sending them over the line of fire, automatically eliminating them.

"Shit!" He cursed the boy. "Pay me this!" Growled Atticus for being humiliated.

"Now is it my fault?" Milo asked even more enthusiastic than his brother.

While those two were talking about cooked and raw, the clash inside the circle was raging.

Azrael had been disgusted to see Crixus seriously hurt Ashur just to get him out of the way between him and glory.

The fibula had broken and the poor man had burned his shoulder falling on the line of fire and then outside.

The adversaries, in theory belonged to Solonius’s sole, but he understood that he had to consider it equally dangerous.

Even if he doubted he would risk provoking him! He had always shown himself wise in this.

He understood that his goal was the last remaining opponent who was clashing with Gannicus.

The Gaul took a run and jumping over a corpse broke away from the ground, giving his stroke greater strength by exploiting that of gravity.

This did not in the least destabilize the opponent who was much taller than him, perhaps even slightly more than the elf.

Crixus and Gannicus started hitting the enemy together, but for him it seemed more of a training than a fight for life.

He managed to land Gannicus with a powerful punch and deprived Crixus of the shield by injuring him in the belly.

While preparing to give the coup de grace Gannicus returned to the attack, pushing Crixus out of the line of fire and risking hitting the elf.

Azrael fell to the ground finding himself a palm of the nose with respect to the flames and getting lost through them.

It was fortunate that apart from those two, no one was able to fight anymore. It was as if he were having the same experience as Hanna and Sara.

He, a boy who trains with the sword, his father who scolds him and his useless act of courage while charging the dragon on horseback.

"Azrael" That cry brought him back to reality and he got down on his knees, turning to see the enemy heading towards him.

Gannicus was on the ground. The elf jumped up, ready for confrontation. But with surprise he heard the cry of Gannicus reaching them.

The opponent was not at all intimidated to find two opponents to fight at the same time and turned his attention to the one who was loading him.

He grabbed his spear and sank it against Gannicus who intercepted the otherwise deadly blow, breaking the tip of the spear and using it to pierce the enemy in the mouth.

He broke the gladiator's jaw and killed him.

Azrael remained at a distance observing the scene while he, too, gave the coup de grace to a dying slave lying on the sand. The crowd exploded and praised the two winners.

Gannicus exulted with enthusiasm, who knows if for being alive or for simple pride.

Azrael just could not answer.

"Yes! Batiatus' house triumphs and wins over everything and everyone!" Batiatus shouted, standing happier than ever "Ah! Ask forgiveness!" He said to the magistrate.

In the meantime, his wife also fully expressed her joy by repeating "Gannicus is the champion!". "Don't worry, a truly exceptional show!" The magistrate congratulated him.

"My school honors this city and my champions will keep his name high!" Batiatus said full of his usual pride.

"When I organize my games I absolutely want to have them!" Cossuzio said, already enjoying that moment. "

“The same goes for me! Feel how they manage to inflame the crowd!” Var9 supported him.

"Don't you think the crowd would remember this day better and who made it so glorious if Azrael was freed?" Solonius asked the magistrate.

“Impossible! Upon him stands our well loved city!" Batiatus said in shock.

"Batiatus is right! That elf is led by the gods. It would be an unforgivable offense if we decided to ignore them, sending him away!" Varo gave him strength.

"Then Gannicus!" Solonius insisted.

“But what are you talking about?" Batiato asked, outraged by what his friend, offended by his victory, wanted to do to him.

"I myself would have given it to mine if he had survived!" Solonius admitted with false modesty. "You will be able to train other gladiators, showing that your school is the best in the city and that there is something wrong with concluding the opening ceremony with such a blessing?!" Asked the convinced magistrate.

"After all, my house exists to honor this city!" Batiatus said, masking his anger as best he could. The magistrate got to his feet trying to convince the crowd to calm down so that he could announce their decisions.

“Gannicus has shown his courage in front of the city of Capua! Let him be rewarded: let him be freed!" he said.

Azrael was appalled by such news.

It had been years since he had witnessed such an episode. And Quintus did not seem to him the person who could make that kind of concession.

The idea was not his!

Gannicus appeared more surprised than the elf.

The young man turned in his direction and approached him.

“It was an honor to fight alongside you! Even if you tried to kill me!" The man said holding out his right hand with a cordial smile.

After years of living among humans, Azrael knew well what this gesture meant.

Mortals used it to greet each other, gladiators saw it as a gesture of complicity or to congratulate. He stood staring at the boy's hand and then decided to recognize his skills.

He was a skilled warrior and deserved respect for this.

He grabbed her and gave him a small smile.

The other watched him for a long time, was taking advantage of their closeness, but Azrael was now accustomed to disrespectful human curiosity.

"Know that I will not forget you, you are a unique person and I believe that the girls understood it...." an embarrassed smile emerged on Gannicus' face "And you did not understand a single word of what I said........” he realized, then laughing openly.



*



That same evening Hanna decided she had waited long enough.

“Why did you freak out? I'm talking about when you almost risked being killed!" Hanna asked.

“Do you want to talk about it now?" Azrael asked back.

"Yes!" She replied insistently.

“I don't care about your wishes! I won't share anything with you!" she said, starting to eat again. “Except for the bed? Why didn't you back off on that!" She provoked him.

Sara choked with a sip of water becoming burgundy.

But in the end ..... what was modesty!?

"Neither you!" He deflected the blow.

Here it is again with the third uncomfortable!

Sara moved from the central position or better defined "spare wheel" or "candle holder", since she was between the two quarrels and to avoid being crushed under the gazes of fire and the glances that the two launched.

“Love makes the world go round except in my case!" The girl thought "In their case it's hate!"she corrected himself.

“You want to hear me say that? Okay, sorry! I apologize for doing such a thing! Can you forgive me?" Asked Hanna disheartened.

“But what are you talking about?" He asked confused.

"When I gave you orders and you obeyed without saying a word ......." she began to explain, only to be interrupted "I did it for your safety!" The elf admitted.

“And you proved that I was wrong! You really care about us if you decide to be humiliated in this way!" watched Hanna determined to remind the two of her presence.

“Keep me out thanks!" Sara's voice made her feel shy.

“They tortured me for years! What can they do that hasn't already been done to me?” The elf asked too calmly. They weren't talking about hobbies!

"Before now you never prostrated yourself at the feet of your master though!" Hanna pointed out, surprised that Azrael had not invented a foolish and stupid excuse to justify the level of submission achieved.

"Better for someone than for survival!" He stressed.

"So in the end you are a wise king!" Hanna flattered him by fully believing in what she had just said.

“It's the first time in decades that anyone remembers my title!" Thranduil said laughing.

“Do you want pen and paper? No, so we hang a giant billboard in the arena! We will do before you in revealing his identity!" Sara complained.

"But I didn't call him by name and we are locked in a cell! And don't interrupt me, this is a serious matter!" The friend justified herself "Where were we? Right ..... so it doesn't bother you?" The speech continued.

"Do you think the motivations behind what I do can take away the sense of humiliation I feel?" Azrael asked offended "It is better if I know that you will be safe!" He explained "This does not mean that I will soon balance the scores!" He said with a meditative and satisfied smile.

“You really are a true sovereign! Put others before your desires and your pride!" This time it was Sara who complimented her.

“A King does not bow to anyone! Maybe someday I'll be back, but now I'm just a slave!" The elf clarified the situation.

A sovereign is such in the eyes of his people and of all those who respect him.

For the Romans he was only a life with a precise value.

“A rebel slave!" Sara said amused. Even as a slave he was not just anyone!

"Because?" Hanna asked taking up the crux of the matter.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Azrael asked cautiously.

"No! But tell me, please! If we want it to work we must be sincere!" Hanna said stopping, for a few minutes, to be petulant and competitive.

“It's darkness!" The elf replied.

"But ..... you weren't locked in your cell!" He observed the girl.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're pretending or you're really stupid!" He teased her.

"Other times I wonder how he manages to keep me from sending you ...." "Language!" Hanna was interrupted by the life-long nuisance.

“My mother has risen! Don't try to change the subject and explain!" Hanna made both a sarcastic comment and resumed her partner.

"Are you by chance still connected to your forest?" Sara asked full of curiosities.

“Despite the magic I've used over the centuries to protect it, it's powerful, no. I haven't been able to perceive anything for a long time!" Thranduil declared.

“Don't distract him!" Hanna protested, tired that they kept going around the point, never getting there!

“He talks about darkness and the first thing I think is the elf kingdom! What can I do about it?" Sara managed to justify the previous question.

"You can shut up!" The other admonished her.

“Yes, but looking at you badly!" Sara said deciding not to add anything else.

"For a moment ....... I wanted to kill them all!" Azrael confessed.

His eyes lost in front of the images of a few days before, as if he were reliving everything while he was telling.

"Then it's called revenge!" Sara corrected him.

"Shut up!" Hanna couldn't stand those misplaced comments!

“It seemed so right!.......what humans did to me.....” “He left deep marks!" She ended his sentence. “Now I understand! It is no coincidence that you have appeared in this world! The Valar sent you!" Thranduil said expressing the theories that, in those years, had multiplied in front of that inexplicable fact.

“What are you talking about?" Sara asked, puzzled by such a statement.

“I would have given in the dark for some time had it not been for you ..... for this I thank you!" The elf said bending the sides of his mouth in a grateful smile.

"Please, but how the hell would we do it?" Hanna asked more of herself than others.

"Maybe we really have magical powers!" Sara said elated.

“In summary, Legolas saved you first and now we! We must be honored! We should ......” Hanna said reasoning out loud.

“I still can't understand the fact that you know a lot about my world while I know about your little and nothing!" He managed to say the elf realizing that she also knew such personal details.

He had always forced himself not to ask what and how they knew a lot of details about Arda for the good of all, but now he was struggling to hold back the questions that did nothing but increase.

But knowing the future or too many things would have irrevocably influenced and changed the future!

It was too high a risk!

Even if the Romans had already done their part!

If he had stayed in the kingdom, things would have gone differently, and Legolas would not have found himself so many responsibilities all at once!

“It would be too complicated to explain everything to you! Can you imagine a world with only humans?” Hanna asked who censored the mention of their past life whenever there was a risk of talking about it.

"We are in it. Those of your race have proved greedy and unreliable!" The elf replied with spite. "Well ..... some of us are too!" She found herself admitting Sara “So is it the fault of the Valar if we are here? Is it not that they have given us powers and we have not yet discovered them?” She asked, looking at his hands as if they weren't his.

"No, you don't have them! What you have is a strong spirit!" Thranduil said.

“You have endured 150 years .... maybe more ..... atrocious torture!" She highlighted Sara not sure that it was wise to keep reminding her.

“I deluded myself that my surviving men had managed to escape. I lulled myself into an illusion!" Thranduil admitted with despair caused by memory alone.

"Thanks to you I'm not faded!" He declared trying not to let his whirlwind of emotions shine through his eyes.

How could he surrender without even trying to help all the other inhabitants of his kingdom?

How could he admit it so easily?

If love gave him strength, it was his job to accept what had happened without letting himself down. Without forgetting who he really was.

"You are welcome!" Sara replied full of enthusiasm. She felt proud of what she had unknowingly done.

"He's not thanking us, he's just explaining how things went!" Shooting Hanna made nervous that Thranduil's eyes had reached a depth he had never seen.

They had to leave, and soon!

And it was his job to get him out of the past! As she had done with his! As a sovereign, it made him suffer to have lost some of his subjects, breaking the promise he had made in declaring that he would always protect them.

And what he had experienced in the last 150 years didn't help him at all, but she wanted to know the true sovereign! Not his pale shadow!

“For once it's nice you can't keep quiet!" Sara filmed her.

"How do I pray?" Thranduil asked annoyed by that comment.

If they believed that the Romans had managed to change it, they were very wrong! And even if they were his friends he could not remain silent while they disrespected him.

“I meant with her! You two look like dogs and cats every time you speak!" Sara commented for the first time, not at all intimidated by her fiery gaze.

“Didn't say thank you! He just made a statement!" Hanna insisted.

“And I find it hard to believe that two mortals saved me!" Azrael decided to answer her in tone. "What?" Hanna asked happily that she finally remembered having to tell him that tiny detail. "Didn't you tell her?" Sara asked terrified.

"What?" Hanna asked trying to play the best part of the innocent girl.

But why was it his job to report such hot news?

"You know it well!" Sara said to her friend who pretended to be as lost as the elf!

She couldn't stand it when she did this!

"What?" Azrael asked, not understanding what they meant.

“The record broke!" Sara teased him.

"How?" Hanna asked even though she understood very well what the other meant.

"Who?" Thranduil asked not knowing what this "record" was to which Sara referred.

“They haven't invented it yet!" She explained.

“But we will be alive when they do!" She watched Hanna happily.

At least one good thing would have happened for sure!

"In many years, centuries, I meant!" Sara admitted knowing that she could never wait so long.

"Reminder for me, to return to our world only to find a way to take my favorite playlist with me!"He thought, becoming sad that some words of his favorite songs had already been forgotten!

“What are you talking about?" Thranduil asked more confused than ever.

Their world was unknown to them in many respects!

“How much older are you?" Hanna asked ignoring him.

“Hanna!" He filmed him, starting to feel anger rising.

"Ancient!" Sara corrected her, as always.

“And start the lesson again!" Her friend complained.

“But don't make all these stories! It is as if I were talking about a temple or a monument! Use the adjective......” “Old, dirty, worn out .....” talking to Hanna was tantamount to banging your head repeatedly against a reinforced concrete wall!

"You are describing yourself as you are now an immortal creature too!" It exploded in front of her sister's stubbornness.

“Creature! Living being! Not an inanimate object!” The other specified.

They both frowned, realizing that they had revealed that "tiny detail" without the slightest touch! Sara held a laugh in front of Thranduil's expression while Hanna wondered "Can an elf go into a state of shock?""Why on earth would they have done it?" He asked in a whisper "Yes!"Hanna replied.

“They said that with us you would protect others too! Perhaps they too were convinced that our meeting was the work of the valar even though we did not know our history!" She replied in place of Sara who had darkened at the memory of the two friends.

Thranduil clenched his fists feeling outraged.

How could they have done such a thing without consulting it, indeed without informing it!

Even if, in retrospect, they could not have seen that he had been locked up in his cell ..... But he still couldn't help being angry!

He sighed heavily trying to calm himself.

They had acted on their own, but still believed in him.

He couldn't, he shouldn't disappoint them.

"What is the middle-ground like?" Hanna asked willingly to change the subject.

"Middle-heart!" corrected Sara.

"Simply wonderful!" Thranduil replied.

Notes:

I apologize if I started writing a book!
But there were too many fundamental things to say!
I'll try to be shorter in the next chapter, I promise!
The chain did not awaken the thought of Thranduil's escape, that has always been there, but made him understand that he has had enough!
Soon, with caution or not, they will savor freedom!
A deep friendship bond is also being created with Sara.
What do you think?
I am sure that Thranduil would never have knelt down to be branded as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
So, as with everything that concerns him, I wanted to make the scene very original! Now Quintus Lentulus Batiatus is the only owner of the school!
Is it good?
The final clash in the arena was complicated to write, did something decent come out? And to conclude I inform you that I had too much fun writing the last dialogue between the three!
Now Spartacus will arrive and the situation will become incandescent, even more than the red-hot iron that dared to carve a deep wound in Thranduil's flesh and pride!
See you soon,
X-98