The Gaul of a Gladiator

Chapter 1: The Collapse

The stars shone down upon the land. The wind was still, and the smell of the great sea flowed through the seaside cliff, and its large mansion. Braziers lit up the night, soldiers and guards clad in bronze and iron standing at checkpoints which were the gates, the house's great garden, and the house itself. Two great anthrae walked down a stone path, one with a white tunic while the other, who was by far more feminine, wore a dress of linen. The male minotaur anthro in his white tunic had a pitch black coat while the larger female had a lighter brown coat.

In a window, far above the large villa, was illuminated. Through the opened window, a lamp with a small lick of flame lit up the room. In said room was a dark brown minotaur, Agnes. Her horns were adorned with two silver rings, one on each side, signifying her medical prowess. Her eyes were a bright azure lighting up her face. Around her neck was a white necklace, showing that she was a healer.

Agnes looked to be in a rush. Her hooves a rush on the stone floor. She dashed to a filing cupboard, filled with some scrolls, written letters and written journals on anatomy during her times studying Galen's works. She picked up her papers, crumpling them and shoving them in a satchel on her massive hips. She grabbed her surgical tools and writing utensils, tonight was the night. She went to the little bowl filled with oil and a lick of flame on a wick, and she licked her fingers and smothered it out.

She quickly held her hand to her muzzle and retched. She rubbed her somewhat fatty stomach slowly in circle movements. She was going to have to tell him about them. Walking out of her room, she looked downward at the two female servants standing by her door waiting for her.

"Is everything ready?" Agnes whispered, fiddling with her satchel strap. The two servants nodded quietly. "Then get ready, meet me and Marcellus behind the garden." Agnes ran off, the sandals of the maid servants hitting the stone floor went off to their own way. Agnes passed torches and more bright braziers, as she had to leave the family's house tonight. She heard voices coming from ahead of her, she hid behind a pillar. Two human legionaries with the insignia of Titus Healers on their helmets and shields. She maneuvered around the pillar, getting past the guards.

She looked out the gardens, their beauty she would not see again. Torchlight came closer off to a path on her right. She dived into the flowering flora to hide. More legionaries came into view, unaware of her presence. They spoke of recent events, and that they had to switch with some other people for the night. Agnes, crouched, began to weave through the towering walls of green. Her hooved steps were covered by the rushing of their fountain in the gardens center. Out here braziers were forbidden ever since a certain aspiring healer minotaur set a fire to the flowers in her young age. Due to no braziers she was hidden.

Agnes saw in the distance, behind a low wall of stone beyond the garden, a shimmer of metal. Agnes ran quickly, closing the distance between her the shimmer and her. Coming closer she could see who it was. Her love, her sword was waiting for her, her Marcellus. Agnes hopped over the wall with ease and landed with a heavy thump. Marcellus barely had anytime to realize who was hugging him, but by smell he knew.

"How are you holding up?" Marcellus's hazel eyes looked up to Agnes, his hands resting around the minotaur's waist. Marcellus's blonde hair blown in the wind as they were closer to the water of the sea. Agnes leaned down and kissed Marcellus' white brow.

"I'm doing fine. I have somethings to tell you when we get on the boat." Agnes whispered to her gladiator. They waited for the servants, sitting against the stone wall looking up to the stars. "Are you sure you can sail?"

"Love, I have Phoenician blood in me. It's second nature." Marcellus proudly declared. "I'd sooner forget how to walk then forget how to sail." The bird call came out of the dark, making Agnes look to their left. The four maids came out, holding supplies from carpenters' tools, masonry equipment, farming equipment, and much more. one of the large ladies was an anthro and more specifically a hydra which were rare. Her name was Diana, and she held in her strong arms food for part of the journey.