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The slaves nued wagons in the centre of the column There were also half a dozen woth “The spectacles are more popular when they offer a certain variety,” Lekran explained “It’s a tradition to ainst beasts in honour of ancient ods but kept much of their stories, especially the bloody tales”

Frentis was gratified to find most of the slaves were Realm folk, with some dark-skinned Alpirans from the southern empire From the treatment meted out to the overseer it was also clear they wouldrecruits

“You did well,” Frentis told Lemera, crouched over the body of a Free Sword as she divested it of any useful or shiny items She replied with a shy smile which faded into a wince at the overseer’s screa to find Thirty-Four

• • •

“You are content with your part in this?”

Eight glanced at his two fellow former Varitai and nodded The days since their liberation had seen theh many hours of sleepless pain as the absence of karn took its toll However it had also brought a new light to their eyes, plus a tendency to stare at the sky or the landscape, as if seeing theun to wonder if they truly understood their situation, but no an awareness in their gaze, as well as a sense of certainty

“We will free as many Varitai as we can,” Frentis went on, “but we cannot free all You understand this?”

Eight nodded again, speaking slowly, his voice raspy and the words formed with deliberate care, “We weredead Nowwe are alive We will make otherslive”

“Yes” Frentis lifted the sword taken froht “Many others”

Thirty-Four’s brief discussion with the overseer revealed the Varikum to be protected by no less than sixty Varitai suppleely devoted to internal defence with no ainst an incursion “Garisai are notoriously difficult to keep,” Thirty-Four advised “They are never given drugs and are not bound like Kuritai”

“How many can we expect to free?” Frentis asked

“The overseer estimated over a hundred But you should not expect all to be willing recruits, brother, or easy to command Life in the Variku and fewer still survive their first experience of the spectacles It is not uncomlanced at Master Rensial, sitting on the ground nearby with the vacant expression that always seerip hiood company

He had Lekran play the role of the overseer, clothed in black hip in hand Frentis and Master Rensial had donned the garb of Free Sword on as it ascended the slope to the Varikuate The establishment’s lack of preparedness was evident in the fact it was already open, a large lower

“You fuckers are late!” he snarled at Lekran, then paused with a suspicious frown “Where’s Mastorek?”

“If the old woe are to be believed,” the for his axe fro a thousand years torreet hi a baffled expression as the axe swept down to cleave his skull

Frentis spurred his horse forward, sword drawn as he galloped through the gate, cutting down another overseer trying desperately to haul it closed Two Varitai rushed forward from a shadowed doorway, short swords drawn back, then rolled under the hooves of Master Rensial’s horse as he rode the in beside Lekran as he ca past, axe in hand, the three forhters in their s seen little point in ed plan, their force divided as it reached the inner keep, Lekran taking half the force right whilst Frentis went left Resistance was sporadic but fierce, three or four Varitai at a ti to block their path but soon overwhelether with Weaver and his two freed Varitai, had been given the role of capturing as many alive as possible; Weaver would loop his thick rope around one and drag hiround whilst the others closed in to bind him Their success was small, only seven ant curving marble hallways liberally streaked with blood froroup to scour the Varikuuised Realive every appearance that business here continued as normal He made his way to the wide sand-covered circle in the centre of thein a defensive forht, disciplined ranks, faces set and grih their weapons consisted of only wooden short swords and spears The sand around them was littered with the bodies of their overseers, cut down by the archers who had occupied the balcony overlooking the arena It seeht the Varikum in the middle of its afternoon practice

“They think we’re bandits on a slaving expedition,” Lekran co it hard to convince them otherwise”