Revenant

An undead gladiator fights in the arena.

Blood. I can smell it. An aching urge tears at me with each sniff of its intoxicating scent. I MUST HAVE IT!

A cramped cage of iron they’ve put me in. It rattles and trembles with age as it moves. The scent is getting stronger. Thoughts of the upcoming carnage soothe my nerves. I feel my moment approaching.

Any time now.

The cage stops moving. Loud chants and cheers fill my ears as I draw closer to my destination. They are shouting someone’s name. Althea? Who? The name is familiar, but I do not know. Then again, it does not matter. Names mean nothing. They are merely calling cards of the weak and the worthless who want to be remembered.

More chants and shouts. It is but a pointless ceremony. Hurry up, mongrels! Get on with it! I long to kill something, anything!

I see my foes. A hundred, perhaps more? A myriad of wretched faces. They tell me to forget the faces of the slain. But no, I want to remember killing them.

EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!

Even if these men are but mere rabble, waiting to die. Pathetic as they may be, their flesh shall whet my axe as their blood feeds the sand! After all, it matters not what they are, for so as long as they can bleed, they shall die.

The cowards stand together, blades and shields forming some kind of wall. A hundred versus one. Yet, their eyes betray their hesitation at the prospect of facing me. Disgraceful!

The cage door opens. Yes, yes! No more waiting! Now, I charge!

They cower behind their flimsy shields, but their petty armaments will do naught in preventing their final fate!  They know this as well as I do, for I can taste their fear as I close in on them with every passing second.

Each swing of my axe brings forth hot splatters and loud, satisfying splinters and cracks. Finally! This is what I’ve been craving for so long! 

The crowd roars. The dying scream their last. Yes! This is what it means to be alive! To revel in the thrill of battle, the rush of energy and the spilling of blood!

I stand alone now, triumphant and bloody. A pile of shattered corpses lay before me. Is it over already? Gah! Too soon! I am barely sated by this pathetic ensemble.

I need more... MORE!

I hear chanting. The same chanting from earlier, alien and unrelenting. A strange sensation washes over me like a tide of delirium.

Just what is this foul sorcery?

The arcane words stir within me. I remember now. I am Althea, daughter of Maximus. Memories flash before me like flickering embers. I remember dying here, struck from behind by a coward’s spear. Yet, I am still awake. How? 

Just what am I, and what have I become?

Somehow, they’ve brought me back, to play their foul games. Am I merely a toy for the powers that be? If so, why do they let me remember? Perhaps to torment me?

If so, damn them, damn them all!

The chants have become louder and more visceral. My memories! No! They’re slipping away!

My vision blurs. Everything is black. I no longer see the battlefield, and I no longer smell the blood. The world as I know it is fading before me. What.. WHAT IS HAPPENING?

No, no! I will not return to that prison! Never! I am not your puppet, maggots!

SAVE ME!

....

BLOOD, BLOOD!

Author's Note

I'Hi!

Do let me know what you think! If you've enjoyed this story, do check out my book on the Amazon Kindle Store, The Best of Aurafiex - A Short Story Collection.

Buy it now at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GX7EVLC

Have a nice day!

Reviews

[Amber Lily]

I love this idea behind this. The idea of a resurrected blood thirsty warrior who is now a slave to these people is fantastic. I was a little lost though in the setting. At some points it sounds like it taking place on an actual battlefield in the midst of war, but then I also wonder if this is in an arena with people watching what is happening. I get that the character isn't exactly fully aware of what is happening, but I think if that was cleared up a bit it may help set the setting more :) A great start though, that was really the only suggestion I have.

[Coyote Poetry]

A wild and crazy tale. Story reminded me of the beserkers tale in India Myth. I like the thoughts and the battle. The internal thoughts made the story come alive. Thank you for sharing the excellent tale.
Coyote

[Krizito]

A gladiator with a love for the of blood and gore...this is definitely a new one. But then that's the whole point right, to discard clichés.
He's got to be something more than just man, if not a hundred against one seems a bit far-fetched.
You threw action into this piece but you didn't expand it. You gave a great appetizer for the thrill but when the main course came, you just rushed it along. I'm all for the opinion of you taking us into the fight, graphic details. His axe in someone's head, the blade going through gut, letting tissue and intestines pour in one thick stream of scarlet.
Truth be told, there's a lot you could do with this. Great job Mr. Fiex..

[Aurafiex]

Thanks! I am working on this piece (it's far from the final draft IMO), so stay tuned!

[richieb]

Your subject matter has a lot of appeal but your story is unrealistic. All gladiators were trained warriors. A fight to the death was not always the outcome as the gladiator games were money makers through money being bet on outcomes. You couldn't kill off all your fighters and remain solvent.
You can still invest in the gladiators feelings and mental approach to fighting. Take your time describing the action including the blood lust of the crowds. Gladiators are warriors not vampires. They fight for survival and a hope for freedom from their owners.
Richie

[Aurafiex]

Yeah, I suppose gladiator-ing isn't exactly a great place to showcase an undead juggernaut. That said, its more of a fantasy setting rather than a real life scenario.

Anyway, I am still working on this piece, so do stay tuned for updates!

[Jacob Clifford]

The other reviewers have said much of what I would have. As always, you have unique and interesting ideas. Good luck if you plan of modifying this one.

[Tsubaki Kuro]

I love this story so far. If you wanted to improve it some more, you can more concrete details and some more dialogue, or thoughts. Also add more feeling to the main character, have him love killing even more. Just don't over do it.

[hcarson]

Well i ike the idea but it depends on how historically correct you want this..not that i know much but i will help where i can of course..i'm not sure gladiators used axes..in the film yes but not in reality that i'm aware of...the only other thing a hunred against one maybe a little far fetched and that he won against them..i would really lower the number down...make it more believable and it would also enable you to go into a bit of detail about sending heads rolling as blood spurts crimson from severed arteries...im getting a tad carried away now haha...i used to love the romans, such an amazing history! great topic for you to have chosen but i think by you keeping to reality it is more effective because that itself is horrendous enough..the slaughter etc..some of them people were pretty sick minded..bloody genius' though lol!...sorry for babbling but its just i love the subject you have chosen and think it has great potential if you play it right, great job over all :)

[Aurafiex]

Well, I wrote this more of in line of a fantasy story, since she is an undead thrall.

That said, do you have any suggestions on how I can make this better? Narration wise, story wise.

Thanks!

[hcarson]

sorry..thought it was a live gladiaror haha..in that case yea, guess it works :) ok, so looking at this again from different angle...maybe a bit more grusomess during the killing or bit bit more explanation as to it being an undead thrall so it is clearer from start .. (unless it is there of course and im being dopey and not seeeing it...entirely possible the day i have had ) it is fine as it is once it is clearer but of course that will naturally become cleaer as the story goes on..think you need another chapter, just to open it up a bit..think it is good as it is really other than that, a good start