Stupid Foreign Swords

[Septima Severa]

Septima Severa held the small bronze sword in her hand. It was a typical greek weapon, more ornamental than anything else. She preferred the roman Gladius, a simple weapon with a wooden hilt and a simple metal blade, no elegant curves of bronze with words and pictures engraved. But getting your hands on a Gladius in Haven was easier said than done, and she had to make do with the Greek thing. A Makhaira she thought it was called, but she wasn't sure.

Septime swung the sword around, practicing her thrusts and parries against an unseen enemy. She specifically tried to keep her mind with her footwork as her arms swung the weapon, keeping her head level and her choices of movement minimal. Swords weren't her first choice of weapon, not even her second, but she'd studied all the kinds of fighting that she could over the years in the Athenaeum and you never knew when sword fighting skills would come in handy. And so she tried to familiarize herselt with different swords, including the flimsy Greek ones that were seen all over the Athenaeum. Really, if you wanted a different kind of sword you had to make it yourself, or befriend someone who could make one for you.

And since Septima wasn't the friendliest person, she just kept swinging the unfamiliar sword.

[Guest]

Adratos troted around the fields of Athenaeum, holding his sword on hands. A good training was needed and it was one of his hobbies. As he head to the training square, he was just praying to the Gods that he wouldn't find nobody in the way.

The Gods did hear them but he forgot to add something: that he didn't want anybody in the training square. A girl was there swinging her swords against an invisible enemy. Great.

He kept his sword and grabbed his bow and arrow, heading for the targets, ignoring the girl. He aimed to one of the targets and started to hit the center, leaving the girl to her business. He was far of being friendly.

[Septima Severa]

Septima regarded the Centaur cooly. She'd seem him around before, often looking serious if not moody. She moved her sword in a thrust, aware of the presence of another person in the ring. Her muscles tightened even more and she felt the need to show what she could do, against better judgement.

Septima launched into a series of complicated thrusts, parries and turns again the ever silent 'enemy', slicing the air in such a way that one would almost expect it to bleed. But her tenseness and ever awareness that another person might or might not be watching Septima lost her footing for a second and, a moment which she would come to begrudge herself for, fell forward into the dust.

[Guest]

Adratos, that had been shooting arrows randomly to make his aim even better, the arrows getting closer to the center. He was used to train with somebody else watching so he was as calm as the sea was in a pretty day.

But as for the human that was training close to him, she seemed... tense? Adratos looked at her by the corner of his eyes, without stop training. God, was she trying to impress him or something? She was actually doing some pretty good movements but... as soon as she fell into the ground he had to contain his laughter.

But not for too long. He smirked at the human and coldly said "That's what you get when you get cocky." and returned to his training.

[Septima Severa]

Septima got op, feeling embarrassment and anger fill her blood. The fall was bad enough, but it was the Centaur that really infuriated her. And she'd never been good at keeping emotions hidden, especially that dark shadow of anger. She brushed the dirt off of her white chiton and grabbed the greek Makhaira sword by the hilt. She moved to face the centaur with cold eyes to match his cold tone.

"You might do better to practice something different. Arrows rarely win the tournament, and shooting at an unmoving target is all nice and easy, but a warrior isn't going to stand there and wait for you to shoot," the contempt was easily readable in her voice, just the way she wanted it to.

[Guest]

Adratos grin didn't disappear when the human approached him. But it did disappeared when she said about arrows and tornament. He took his sword out of his belt and coldly looked at her.

"Don't worry much about it, I have other skills." he said, looking menancingly at the human standing in front of him. He was way taller then her, due to her horse body and he step the ground hard, showing his impatience.

[Septima Severa]

Septima smiled when the Centaur's grin disappeared, wiping the smile off of is face was extremely satisfying. She casually moved her hand down to her belt, where her whip was curled and attached. Centaurs weren't known for their level heads and she wanted to be ready. But she didn't stop taunting him.

She looked him straight in the eye, even if she did have to crane her neck o do so, and refused to be intimidating. "Oh, I wouldn't doubt that you do horsey boy, but carrying a pointy stick around doesn't mean that you know how to use it."

[Guest]

Adratos was getting real pissed off with this girl. She seemed to him so full of herself and as she called him horsey boy he moved forward, moving closer to her, his red eyes almost shinning with anger.

"You doubt that I use it? Just don't" he said, with his cold voice, glaring at her, almost snorting in anger. This was why he didn't like girls. They were too cocky.

[Septima Severa]

The Centaur stepped closer but Septima stood her ground, she refused to show any more weakness and give the Centaur what he wanted. Men were all the same, walking around with a pride larger than their shadow and expecting women to do as they ordered them to. Well this one hadn't met Septima yet, she would do no such thing.

She rested the first the was still holding the sword on her hip, blade pointing backward and cocked her hip defiantly. It might look like she was simply getting annoyed, putting her hand on her hip, but she was ready to swing the blade if need be. But she as far from backing off.

"Are you threatening me?" she asked challengingly. "Don't forget that I'm your senior in the Athenaeum."

[Guest]

Adratos glared the more at the human. Stupid girl, didn't know what she was getting, he thought. And this one was a stubborn one which was getting Adratos nerves.

A grin appeared on his face "Threating? Oh not at all. I'm just making fun of you, pityful girl." he said, not moving and his grin grew bigger, "So what? Just because your older I can't laugh at your failures?" he asked.

[Septima Severa]

Septima shrugged, trying not to let him get the best of her, though it was working. "Mistakes are human, you learn from them. But oh! I forgot! You're not human, are you? Your a half-man half-horse hybrid and not even a pretty one."

She took a step closer so she was almost standing on his hooves and looked up. "You're not intimidating me, horse, the God of war didn't pick me for being a weakling." No, he picked you for slaughtering your husban, she thought bitterly, but she was sure not to voice it.

[Guest]

This time Adratos grin didn't disappeared. He kept on with his cold smirk and step on the ground once more, almost stepping Septima. "That means I don't commit mistakes!" he said, before laughing and ignoring the comment.

"The God of war didn't choose for being weak either or for not knowing how to handle a sword." he said, glaring at her. "He doesn't choose weak people."

[Septima Severa]

"True," Septima started, her own wicked smile also still plastered on her face. "But that also means you don't learn. A being that never learns is forever stuck in their most premature state of mind. So, in fact, you're a foal at heart, Centaur."

She snorted at his comment of Ares. "Ah, so your one of his too, aren't you? I can hear the admiration in your voice." She spat at the ground. "The Go of war never chooses good people either," she said, bitterness tainting her words.

[Guest]

"Well aren't humans the ones that are drive by their emotions?" he teased, his grin growing bigger. "Ain't I right? Humans perform actions without thinking and then regret about it." he said, smirking the more.

"Yes I am. The God of war came to me and asked me if I wanted to enter so I just couldn't say no. It's once in a life time." he said, full of pride for Ares choosing him. "He cares they are good fighters. Not good people."

[Septima Severa]

Septima laughed. "You are so full of naive pride for your God, hearing you talking about him almost makes me think he's anything close to decent! You say humans rush into things yet when the treacherous Ares knocks on your door and proposes to you a fate of likely death in the arena for him you don't hesitate and say yes."

She laughed again. "I wouldn't call that a well thought-through decision, Centaur, but one led entirely on your feelings of pride. Feeling, or emotion. Plus, your race isn't always known for it's emotionless state. I hear more stories of Centaurs with rather large... 'passions' then I hear stories of Zeus!"

"You think you have everything figured out, that you know anyone by their looks or by their race, but try again horse-boy, see what you know!"

[Guest]

Adratos snorted angrily and his grin disappeared once again. He took two deep breaths to calm himself down. He shouldn't let be getting angry by some words.

"Incredibly enough you should be quiet!" he said, getting really pissed off with Septima. "You should be quiet about my race, you should respect them because you know nothing about us!"

He sarcasticly laughed "Oh and that wasn't a rushed decision, human! I thought a lot before joining but since my problems were enough on my tribe I decided it was the best to fight for the Gods." he said, spitting on his left.

[Septima Severa]

"And you know everything about my race?!" Septima yelled. "Do you know about my culture? About my upbringings? About my future and my past? Do you know what age of humans I come from What my class was in society and what my beliefs are?" She challenged.

"But I'm sure you had lots of trouble in a place called Haven. Oh, your fragile heart was probably broken, or maybe your charming behavior didn't make you a favourite with your tribe, oh the perils!" Septima sneered, keeping her head held high.

[Guest]

"No, I know nothing about your little race neither you do about mine!" he shouted and almost pranched but controlled himself.

"Aren't you full of yourself?" he said in a threatening voice. "You should be quiet when making up things. You probably weren't the best in your family or let somebody down or even worse your guy left you or something!" he said, not moving from his spot.

[Septima Severa]

"No, instead I killed the man," Septima said in her coldest voice before she could stop herself. "How's that, is that what you wanted to know? You're talking to a murderess here, how does that make you feel?"

"Face it, in this world being let down, or left by your girlfriend isn't the worst that could happen. The worst that could happen is being gutted on the battlefield like a pig while the only things on your opponent's mind is when the signal is given that you're dead, and they can go fight their next enemy. That's the world you so eagerly jumped into, and the world of your idol Ares."

[Guest]

Adratos grin appeared once more "So that's why you are here, that's why Ares choose you. I wouldn'y say murderer but a pityful girl that see murder as the only escape to her miserable life."

"First of all, I didn't say I was dumped. Second, you are from Ares too, so shut the hell up! Third, you don't want to die in the battlefield too, so you are just like the opponent you just described." his grin became malicious and his voice colder then ice.

[Septima Severa]

"In that, you are wrong. It was actually madness to overtook me, or should I say shall overtake me." She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant while it was actually pretty hard for her to talk about it. "It's complicated, I wouldn't suppose you'd understand."

"Plus," she continued. "Just because Ares... 'chose' me so to speak, doesn't mean that I idolize him. Ares is a fool who uses another's weaknesses against them for his own goals." Thunder rumbled up above but Severa simply ignored it. The Centaur's comment on her role in the battlefield did hit its mark, and the arrogant and malicious smile faded from her lips.

"True," she said bitterly. "But what is it really? A few more murders on my name?"

[Guest]

"Then you are just as emotional as I said. You let your emotions overtook you and got your husband killed. Not a smart option in my opinion, but who am I to speak." he said, his smile not fainting away, just growing bigger.

"But you did accept his offer. I bet it was to escape your fate in the dungeons for the rest of your life since you murdered your husband." Adratos words being sharp at every moment, his red eyes smiling maliciously.

"A few muders... so you can survive." he said, the smile on his face not disappearing "It's the law of survival, my dear human."

[Septima Severa]

"Ah, mistaken once again. I am a Roman, and for a Roman to commit murder, especially a woman, means death," Septima explained fake patiently. "Either way, a choice is a luxury that some can't afford."

"When the God of War, be it Ares or Mars, knocks on your door demanding you participate in the folly of the Gods, how do you suppose you kindly decline? If it were anyone else, Vesta perhaps, or Ceres, I might have had a choice. Mars, however, doomed me to this."

"But either way," she continued. "You speak of emotion as though it is the dirtiest thing, but you yourself are prey to emotion as well. You had your heart broken, you need emotion for that. And right now I can see the emotion of anger bubbling up in you. Sadness, have you ever cried Centaur?"

[Guest]

"Then again you could just run away to another country then to murder your husband. Despicable." he said, glaring at the Septima.

"Well, I can say you didn't have any other choice since you didn't have a life. You are indeed alone in this world and fighting in a tornament is just another way for you to run away from the emptiness in your life." he continued, the grin in his mouth.

"Wouldn't I be a cold heart bastard if I didn't feel nothing at all?" his smirk grew bigger "Cry? Yes I have in fact but I've come to accept the fact that it isn't worth crying. It doesn't give you anything." he said in the most despicable voice he had.

[Septima Severa]

"You forget the fact that I was unaware of my future at the time of my admittance in the Athenaeum, the one flaw to my plan. Sure, the thought of being no more than a pretty girl at the arm of a senator or soldier wasn't my idea of a great future, but it must have beaten fighting for my life, or so you should think?" Septima said, glaring right back as she swiped away his assumption.

"True, yet you imply that emotions are the worst enemy of a warrior. True, emotions can distract from a performance, but what would life be when it is all over, and you have no emotions to brighten your life?" Severa challenged. "You'll be a cold and bitter man whose only life was in the arena you fought in, is that the future you desire?"

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