“The colosseum,” I say to Alaric, as I pull my attention back from the bird.“Domitian is in the Colosseum.But he has guards with him.”
“Guards won't be a problem,” Alaric assures me.He turns to the others with us.“We're going into a dangerous fight, against trained guards.Domitian Blacksteel is trying to seize the city.I say we go and stop him.Who's with me?”
There's an answering roar from the rebels, and Alaric sets off in the direction of the Colosseum, fast enough that I have to sprint to keep up.Our group runs through the streets, and again I use the birds overhead as a way to avoid groups of guards, picking the route for us to follow as we close in on Domitian.
There are guards at the gates to the Colosseum, and we slam into them without slowing, so that suddenly I'm in the middle of a melee, barely parrying a blow from a sword.Alaric is fighting with all the cool grace that I remember from the arena, illusions flowing around him so that he seems to be in three places at once.His followers have their own magic so that now flickers of fire and ice start to flash through the air.
We burst into the Colosseum, and the rest of Domitian’s guards move to intercept us.There are so many more of them than us, dressed in solid armor, wielding swords and spears, hiding behind shields.
The rebels are brave, attacking now with a wild ferocity that carries them into the ranks of the soldiers, using magic and weapons in concert.Of course, this is Aetheria, and many of the guards have magic, too, so that now the air fills with it.A tendril of power wraps around one man, crushing him.A blast of fire scorches a couple more.The ranks of the soldiers are holding, and now they're pushing forward in lockstep, using discipline and solidity to overcome the wild assault of the rebels.
Alaric’s followers are being pushed back, breaking against the formation of the soldiers like waves against the shore.I thrust a sword through the gap in someone's armor, parry the thrust of a spear, and keep moving, but there's less and less room in which to move.Alaric still looks like a dancer when he fights, every movement as beautiful as it is deadly, but that kind of fighting takes space he doesn’t have.
I need to do something, or we're going to be overwhelmed.I duck back for a moment, finding enough space to concentrate and reaching inside myself for the power that lies within.I can feel the animals around me, can feel the creatures Domitian brought to the Colosseum because he hoped to use them in matches.I can feel the great cats and the giant snakes, feel herds of dangerous herbivores.
I can feel them all, and I can control them.I flow into their minds, drawing them to me in a wave of flesh that encourages them to break through their cages, leaping over pens, smashing the locks on other animals enclosures.The creatures flow from the pits below the sands, smashing past trainers who try to hold them back.They crash through the gates, onto the arena floor.
Domitian’s guards cry out as they see them, but it's already too late.The animals are slamming into the rear of their formation, even as the rebels attack them from the front.The result is chaos, with the soldiers breaking and starting to run.
“We've got this now,” Alaric says.“Get to Domitian!”
I send the animals back in the direction of their pens, not wanting to leave them where they might hurt the rebels.Even as I do so, I take from them, borrowing power and speed.I make my way up from the arena floor, leaping into the stands with an ease that shouldn’t be possible for anybody human.
I rush through the Colosseum, heading along its corridors, making my way towards the emperor's box.A pair of guards stands in front of it, spears levelled at me.I hack the head from one of those spears, deflect the other and slash my blade across the back of the guard’s leg.He goes down screaming while the other one stares at his broken weapon and backs away.
I ignore both of them, shoving my way into the box.
Instantly a blade comes at my head, propelled with a speed and force that I almost can't match.I barely deflect the blow and find myself facing Domitian, who's dressed in the armor of one of his guards.He holds a blade two-handed, staring at me with hatred.
“It’s over, Domitian,” I say.“The senate knows all about you colluding with Selene Ravenscroft, and your forces are being fought back around the city.”
“We'll see about that,” he replies, and swings for me again with ferocious speed.I can feel him using magic to propel himself faster, the impact of the blade against mine almost enough to shatter the steel.
We trade blows and I get through his defenses but my blow skitters from his armor.He's better protected than I am, and he's making the most of it, attacking recklessly now.In the close confines of the emperor's box, I don't even have room to dodge properly.I duck under the swinging sword and hear the impact as it cuts through the wall behind me.
“When I throw your body out into the street, it will break their morale,” Domitian snarls, thrusting for me.I dodge aside from it but don't have enough room to dodge completely.I feel the agony of the blade piercing my flesh, thrusting through me.I can only hope that it's missed anything vital.
Domitian smiles cruelly.“It won’t be long now.”
I grit my teeth and pull myself forward along his blade, close enough to grab.Close enough to slam one of my swords through a gap in his armor, deep into his shoulder.Domitian cries out and stumbles backwards, pulling the blade from me as he does so.
Domitian roars in anger and prepares to swing again.But I have all the strength and speed of the animals within the arena in me.I draw on it and I fling myself forward in a devastating series of attacks, swinging my swords again and again, not giving him a moment to rest.
Domitian swings his sword around and this time as I duck, I cut upwards, slamming my sword into his wrist.Domitian cries out and drops his weapon, staggering back towards the edge of the emperor's box.
I close in on him pushing him right to the edge of it so that he's hanging above the arena floor.I can feel the grim thrill of victory, the rush of violence.I can feel the need of the animal instincts within me for blood.It would be so easy to fling him over the edge of the box to send Domitian tumbling towards the sands of the arena below.I could end this definitively, give him the death he deserves for all he's done.
“Go on,” he says.“Do it.The victor should claim their kill.”
But I don't.I fight back against the animal I need to kill, against the violence within me.Instead I bring the pommel of my sword around, striking Domitian hard on the side of the skull, sending him tumbling to the floor of the box in unconsciousness.
I have triumphed, but I don't need to kill.Whatever Domitian deserves, he'll get the right way after he's been tried by the Senate for his crimes.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
I stand in the palace gardens, looking out over the city with Alaric, watching the aftermath of the violence.Marcus is coming towards us, looking satisfied, although he still shoots Alaric a mistrustful glance.
“The fighting is pretty much done,” Marcus says, approaching me.“After you captured Domitian, his forces weren't coordinated anymore.It broke their morale.”
