Chapter XVI
"Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” - Phaedrus
Time slowed in my mind. A strange fascination occupied me as I regarded the blade poised above me. I knew I would fight to the last. I also knew that this time my assailant could not miss. I braced myself to try to deflect the blow.
The next thing to happen made me stare with surprise, despite the battle-din of Junius fighting. A blade tip appeared out of thin air above me and it pierced the man's chest. The poised blade faltered. It fell from the corsair's grasp. A sandaled foot stepped across me.
I rolled to one side and managed to stand upright and still. I was holding my little shield. All around me, men fought. I suddenly realised that my trap had sprung. The two contubernia that Junius and I commanded, each consisting of eight men, had finally come as arranged. They had been waiting for the fight to begin and had delayed only for moments after the fight had started, even though to us it seemed to take so long.
Moments later, the skirmish had finished, all the corsairs lay dead or dying, and I looked around for Asinnius. I caught sight of my Centurion backing away, further up the alley. I paused only long enough to pick up my sword, and gave chase. Asinnius saw me coming, turned, and ran. He realised that I was not going to be taken in by any lies or threats this time. He had decided discretion was advisable. He ran fast but for me, the exertions of the fight had taken their toll.
Blood ran down my arm from the wound in my shoulder, dripping and spraying from my wrist as I ran. My breath rasped. I gripped my drawn sword hard for my arm felt strangely weak. I ran and heard footsteps behind me as some of my contubernium followed, but their footsteps began to fade as I turned corners and followed my prey through the streets of Sinope.
I came to a courtyard walled by houses with steps at the far end and glimpsed my target as his red cloak whisked around the corner at the top of the stairway. I ran up the steps two at a time for fear of losing my quarry. As I rounded the corner at the top, Asinnius was waiting and he planted a kick with his left foot that caught me at chest level and I fell backwards. It was not a bad fall and I managed to clutch at a climbing plant on my right. The pain lanced through my shoulder as I did so.
I regained my balance and held my sword out in front of me as I climbed the stairs again. For a moment, there was no sign of my adversary. I stood still and listened. A dog barked. The sound of nailed sandals slapping on the cobbles came to me and I was off, in the direction of the sound.
I rounded another corner and the Centurion was facing me in a blind alleyway. They had built Sinope like a warren and without an intimate knowledge of the streets such blind lanes were a constant source of frustration.
Asinnius was breathing hard as he slowly stepped forwards. A fight was inevitable now and both of us took the opportunity to recover our breath as we weighed each other up. Asinnius was unscathed but clearly not as fit as I was. The shoulder wound I knew would slow me down, but I still had my little shield and Asinnius had discarded his.
'We don’t have to do this you know.'
'We do, believe me,' I said, 'It was your treachery that killed Meridius and I swore to him he would be avenged.'
'Look, there's plenty of money for both of us if we don't fight.'
We were almost crouched and leaning forwards on the balls of our feet. Asinnius' eyes moved quickly looking for an opening. I was in no hurry. I knew that the longer this part of the game continued, the more rested I would be, but so would my opponent. I knew also that I would need to produce something extraordinary, considering my wound and the skill that I knew Asinnius had. Had I not been taught my own swordsmanship at first, from this man?
Interrupting my silent ruminations, Asinnius attacked first. He feinted with the sword tip to his right and as I used my shield, he changed direction and with a backhand slash of his blade went for the injured shoulder. I was fast even with a weakened shoulder and managed to parry. I stepped forward with my left foot and struck hard with the little bronze shield. I hit him on the right shoulder. Asinnius was temporarily unbalanced and stumbled to his left.
I stepped round my opponent. My left foot went forward and my right foot pivoted clockwise in a full circle. When it hit the ground, I allowed my blade to follow hoping to take the Centurion from behind. My shoulder however seemed weakest in a backhand. I cried out in pain as I struck.
All the blow did was to produce a small cut on the back of Asinnius' left shoulder. It was a nothing to the tough Centurion, who by reflex, stabbed back and down with his sword. I felt an almost unbearable burning pain radiate down the front and outside of my right thigh. I realised I had been stabbed in the groin.
It was a classic gladiator's killing blow. I felt blood run down into my grieve but my leg held. I stood and faced Asinnius with the determination of a man who saw death staring him in the face. The Centurion merely stumbled forward and turned, this time with his back to the alley's entrance, arms outstretched before him. There was a look of fury upon his face.
I knew Asinnius might run. I attacked again with a sense of urgency. This time I used both shield and sword. I knew I was losing blood. I had to act quickly before I became too weak to fight.
I stepped forward. Asinnius feinted to his left. Suddenly he knelt at my left side, lunging with the gladius at my left knee. He was very fast.
Asinnius himself had taught me that trick. It only worked if the opponent was untrained in countering it. I raised my left foot high and the sole of my sandal deflected the blade. I twisted and bent to my left and down. I stabbed with the gladius. I sensed satisfaction this time. I felt my sword tip bury itself in my opponent's left armpit with a slight crunch. I twisted the blade, despite the pain in my shoulder and stepped back.
Asinnius was on his feet in seconds, but it was clear that he was badly hurt. His face was ashen and his breath came in gasps. He stared into my eyes with a look of pure hatred and tried to say something, but all that came was a spray of blood.
He sank to his knees, still fighting desperately to breathe. Blood flowed from his wound onto the cobbles, as he knelt and I pushed him gently with my foot. The dying man toppled and lay sprawled on his back, blood pooling around him on the cobblestones.
I knew I had killed him. Without looking back, I limped slowly out of the alleyway into a street, where a small boy stared at me in awe from a doorway and a handcart hurried past me. The street scene had a sense of unreality. For me, it was as if no one noticed me. I felt invisible, spirit-like and translucent to the Greeks and Pontics who passed me. I noticed no stares, but I must have looked terrifying.
My dented helmet was askew on my head and blood still dripped from my right arm to the cobbles at my feet. Blood ran down my right thigh. There was a dent in the breastplate that had protected my front.
I felt dizzy and put my left arm out to steady myself as I reached a corner, my head ached and the world began to spin, whirling around me like clouds in a tempest. My vision obscured and all was black for a moment.
I found myself lying on my back and I could see grey clouds in the sky above. No one touched me, I lay where I had fallen and an odd thought came into my consciousness. I felt as if I was being carried, not by hands but by winged creatures, up, up into the grey sky and all the time my head ached and there was pain in my right shoulder, reminding me of the reality of the day.
My next awareness was of people staring down at me some shaking their heads and others speaking rapidly in a strange language. Then clarity. Then pain. An urgent comprehension dawning, that I had to get back to my men. I had no idea where I was. Everywhere I looked, I could see bright light silhouetting the gathered people as if the sun itself had descended to light my way. I rose unsteadily to my feet again and the bystanders gave way before me, as if I was contagious. Their fear of me was almost tangible as I stumbled forwards.
Each street looked the same. It was a confusing blur. I continued in this way for some
minutes and then felt faint again. There were floating points of light in my visual fields and I staggered, crashing into a wall. I breathed deeply, hungering for air. I noticed my heart thumping fast and still managed to get to my feet. I asked a bystander where I was but did not understand the reply. All was confusing. All became gradually dark and I realised that I was on my knees.