"She's helping me. Two sets of eyes are better than one, eh? Plus, it's private down there, if you know what I mean?" Marcus clapped the guard on the shoulder, his easy confidence seeming to put the man at ease.
After a moment's hesitation, the guard grinned at Marcus and then nodded and stepped aside. "Be quick about it," he grunted.
As soon as we were out of earshot, I looked at Marcus. "That was close," I murmured.
Marcus just grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye that made him look years younger.
"Nah, the guards down here are never really that bothered about keeping watch. Most of them drink or sleep their shifts away, but stay close," he said. "It’s a maze down here. We're almost there."
We approached a heavy wooden door, reinforced with iron bands. Marcus produced a key from somewhere in his tunic and unlocked it, the mechanism groaning in protest. He pushed it open just enough for us to slip through, then closed it behind us.
The pens stretched out before us, a series of sturdy cages lining both sides of a wide corridor. Most were empty, but a few held shadowy forms that stirred restlessly as we passed. I caught glimpses of fur, scales, and gleaming eyes, but Marcus urged me on before I could get a proper look.
"This way," he said, leading me towards the far end of the corridor. "What I want to show you is in the last pen."
As we approached, I became aware of a low, rumbling sound, like distant thunder. The air grew warmer, and a strange, acrid scent filled my nostrils. My heart began to race with a mixture of excitement and fear.
Marcus stopped in front of the final pen, a massive structure that dwarfed the others. "Are you ready?" he asked, his hand on the viewing slot.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
He slid open the slot, and I peered inside.
For a moment, I couldn't make sense of what I was seeing. Coils of iridescent golden scales filled the pen, shifting and moving in a hypnotic dance. Then, as my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw it.
A dragon.
It was huge, the size of three carriages, and that wasn’t counting its tail. Its scales shimmered in shades of black and bronze, like the fabled treasure hoard of the Emperor come to life. A crown of horns adorned its huge head, and wings were folded tightly against its body, hints of delicate membranes visible between the joints.
As I watched, breathless, its eyes opened - brilliant, golden orbs that seemed to glow from within. Those eyes fixed on me, and I felt a jolt of recognition, as if the creature was looking into my very soul.
"By the gods," I whispered, unable to look away. "It's... it's beautiful."
"And deadly," Marcus added softly. "This is the prize for tonight’s night's fight. Whichever ludus wins the battle, that dominus gets to keep the dragon. Drusus has been beside himself with excitement. Says it'll draw the biggest crowd the ludus has ever seen. A black market purchase, of course."
The dragon shifted, stretching out its long neck, and I spotted the thick iron collar bolted around it. It was coarsely made. I imagined the ones worn by the imperial dragons were more beautifully made, but all were a necessity. They enabled the dragons to be chained, as this one was, but they also made them more docile, more controllable. Still, I felt sorry for this one, kept inside its tiny cage. Another slave, just like me.
"How did they capture it?" I asked, still mesmerized.
Marcus shrugged. "No one knows for sure. There are rumors of dragon hunters in the far north, but..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "What matters is that it's here now. And if we win it, I hear Drusus is planning to use it for the festival of Sol and Aeolus in a few months."
His words broke the spell, and I turned to look at him. "Use it? You mean... you’ll have to fight it?"
He nodded grimly. "That's what I wanted you to see, Livia. This is the reality of being a gladiator. It's not just about fighting other men. Sometimes, you're up against beasts like this. Creatures that can tear you apart or burn you to ash in seconds."
I looked back at the dragon, trying to imagine facing it in combat. The thought sent a chill through me, but also... a thrill. The danger, the challenge, the sheer spectacle of it - wasn't this almost exactly what I'd been dreaming of? Not completely. I’d wanted to be a Dragon Elite, to have a dragon egg of my own, gifted to me by the emperor. To help raise it, train it. To command it. The thought reminded me of my vow, my determination for vengeance against those who had destroyed my life.
"I understand the risk," I said slowly, my eyes still fixed on the magnificent creature. "But this... this is incredible, Marcus. To be part of something like this, to test yourself against such a beast... isn't that what being a gladiator is all about?"
I heard Marcus sigh beside me. "You're not going to give this up, are you?" he asked, echoing his words from earlier.
I shook my head, finally tearing my gaze away from the dragon to look at him. "No," I said firmly. "I'm not. This has only made me more certain. I want to be a gladiator, Marcus. Whatever it takes."
Marcus rubbed a hand over his face, his expression torn between exasperation and grudging admiration. "Gods help me," he muttered. "You're either the bravest or the most foolish woman I've ever met."
I grinned, sensing victory. "Why can't I be both?"
He chuckled despite himself then studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable in the dim light. Finally, he nodded, a mixture of resignation and respect in his eyes.
