Flight to Savage Empire

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Shield smashed against shield. Metrius stumbled backwards, nearly falling.

Clavius pressed his advantage, sword battering away at Metrius’ defense. Finally he found an opening, his sword slithering along the edge of Metrius’ shield to gash his thigh.

As pain penetrated, Metrius sucked in a shocked breath and tried to strike back.

The crowd leaped to its feet, roaring encouragement.

The two evenly matched champions had been battling for close to an hour. Now, the long-awaited climax was at hand.

The ending could not come soon enough for Magister Astra. She was not in the stands, but huddled in the small medical treatment room beneath them, waiting for one gladiator or the other to be carried in with a grave or fatal wound. Here, for the eighth time today, she would either work frantically to save a life… or administer opiates to ease the last moments of a dying man.

In either case, she thought bitterly, the punishment and pain are mine.

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