Chereads / The story of Aprilis 10, 424 C.E. / Chapter 3 - The Tigers

Chapter 3 - The Tigers

"Release the tigers!"The emperor exclaimed. The hyrcanian and Caspian tigers chains were no longer stopping their movement and they roamed freely into the arena. As this happened Aetius grabbed the burly man's head and lifted him up. He slowly started tightening his grip on the man's head and screams irradiated through the area. His blood shot into all directions between his fingers. One of the 2 Caspian tigers headed for Aetius and he grabbed into it's stomach grabbing it's intestines and pulling them out as he dropped the other man's body.

I kicked off Crispus' dead body and stood calmly again even as the blood from him dripped down my knee. I watched another one of the gladiators have a hyrcanian tiger pounce on him and rip apart his innards. The other tigers seemed to run around in the excitement of being free. Bored with watching this sultry battle I decided I should join in on the fun. I stretched and readied my bo staff in hand. I then walked out towards one of the smaller and older men left, thinking that it would be best to conserve my energy and fight the easiest ones first.

I did a spinning toss in the air to distract him and stepped in quickly, throwing a palm heel in his stomach. His body pushed back and he inhaled gagging. I spun around, grabbed the bow and spun around continuing the circular motion, ultimately doing a 360. I did a front stance and uppercut-ted him with my bo staff. He spit out and his head rose as his body bent and followed the chain reaction, doing so too. I jumped by him and threw my bo staff back into its pouch. I then grabbed his eye area, nostrils, and top lip. I pushed in his eyes hearing the satisfying screams of his life ending. Blood

squirted out and ran down my arm and around my fingers.

I let go and looked at my surroundings, his body dropping. Another gladiator had his face bit off by a tiger, dead on the sand. That's 3 people killed and 3 tigers. Maybe I should focus on the tigers, since they are more dangerous, but easier to kill I would think, seeing how Aetius destroyed one. The tigers were running after another gladiator who was running rings around the arena. I ran over toward a hyrcanian tiger and jumped onto its back. It obviously noticed me, grunting at its discomfort. I got my bo staff out and stood on the tiger in a front knife stance.

I started climbing up the tiger's back and shoulders towards its head. I couldn't believe the size of the beasts! It must be about 11 feet tall! The fur from the tiger brushed against my skin, rough and un-groomed. I got to the head and the tiger jumped up in the air. To hold on I kept the bo staff in one hand and grabbed onto the beast's ear with the other and held with all my might. When it landed it shook with fury, throwing me side to side as it shook its head.

I grabbed at its hairs now and pulled on them, pulling upwards and around, climbing it once again. When I got to the top of the head the swings became more ferocious, to where I couldn't hold on any longer. I fell off the front of his head. While in the air I stabbed my bo staff in its eye. It screeched in horror. The eye ball leaked an aqueous liquid meaning I didn't hit deep. The stick still was stick in the creature's eye though, so I grabbed the stick by jumping and pushed it in. Blood exploded from the eye and the tiger fell as it died. I hit brain and went through it, killing the poor thing. I took the stick out and looked down at myself. I had blood splattered across my front like an abstract piece of art. My back probably had it's share fare too. I could also feel blood dripping off my cheek.