throated roar was heard from the crowd and Juno graciously acknowledged the peopleâs welcome with a wave of his hand. He walked purposely towards the raised platform, quickly mounting the three steps and elegantly sat on his golden throne.
There was another sound of drums and through the main archway marched Arnor, tall, handsome, and muscular, wearing a short tunic, heavy leather sandals and a jewelled sword buckled at his waist. The champion walked slowly towards Juno and lifted his hand in a salute and bowed low in front of him. Then turned towards the crowd acknowledging their adoration as they roared their approval of their hero.
All the time Rom had been left standing on the sidelines flanked on either side by a guard, with two more guards close behind. Rom quietly sized up his opponent to see if he could detect any physical weaknesses in his bearing. Alas, he could see none in Arnorâs appearance, as before him was a picture of a warrior in superb physical condition. Juno sensing the drama of the situation, waved his arm in a down motion for the crowd to be quiet and still. All eyes were on him in a instant, everyone leaning forward straining to catch each word he uttered.
âGuards bring the prisoner to me immediately,â commanded Juno. There was a murmur of disapproval from everyone as Rom was marched towards Juno sitting on his throne. âWell are you now ready to tell me Brudeâs plan to attack this Temple and my people?â demanded Juno, glaring down at Rom as he stood before him.
There was a further roar and hissing noises from the people. Rom looked straight into Junoâs eyes, âI do not know of Brudeâs military strategy. He does not confide in me. He doesnât like me and would like to kill me,â stated Rom in a loud deep voice.
âYou liar, Rom!â shouted Juno, who was now really angry. Rom and those nearest to Juno could see red flecks appearing in his eyes and the veins at Junoâs temples and neck were raised and throbbing. Rom feared he would be struck down there and then.
âThis is your last chance, are you going to tell me now or not!â yelled Juno. Rom slowly shook his head from side to side. âThen let the combat begin,â bellowed Juno, as he flung back his head with rage and slumped his body down on the seat of the throne exhausted.
The primal roaring sound from the crowd was deafening and sustained for a period before they too began to quieten their voices and settle into their seats waiting for the show to begin. The drums started to beat slowly and methodically in the background, adding to the atmosphere of expectation and urgency. Româs hands were unbound, and he quickly massaged them to try to prevent further feelings of cramping and pain.
One of the guards came forward, âChoose your weapons from here.â The guard pointed to a nearby pile of varied assortment of swords, daggers, shields etc.
Rom quickly rifled through the weaponry making a mental note of the condition of each. He chose a plain bronze sword, not too heavy to hold in his hand and also selected a long dagger which looked well worn but rapier sharp and he thrust this inside the webbing of his right leg attached to his heavy duty sandals. Then he reached for a shield to give him some protection around the head and chest area. His heart was beating fast and he was breathing deeply as he quickly spun around, to face the enemy.
There was Arnor, resplendent in his glittering gold chest armour, with a protective helmet over his head, holding a long oval shaped shield reaching to the ground. He had obviously chosen his weapons from another source. The two men eyed each other from a distance, waiting for the signal from Juno to advance to the middle of the arena.
There was a further roll of the drums and Juno beckoned the two men to go to the centre of the arena. The atmosphere was tense, with everyone concentrating their attention on the two
There was another sound of drums and through the main archway marched Arnor, tall, handsome, and muscular, wearing a short tunic, heavy leather sandals and a jewelled sword buckled at his waist. The champion walked slowly towards Juno and lifted his hand in a salute and bowed low in front of him. Then turned towards the crowd acknowledging their adoration as they roared their approval of their hero.
All the time Rom had been left standing on the sidelines flanked on either side by a guard, with two more guards close behind. Rom quietly sized up his opponent to see if he could detect any physical weaknesses in his bearing. Alas, he could see none in Arnorâs appearance, as before him was a picture of a warrior in superb physical condition. Juno sensing the drama of the situation, waved his arm in a down motion for the crowd to be quiet and still. All eyes were on him in a instant, everyone leaning forward straining to catch each word he uttered.
âGuards bring the prisoner to me immediately,â commanded Juno. There was a murmur of disapproval from everyone as Rom was marched towards Juno sitting on his throne. âWell are you now ready to tell me Brudeâs plan to attack this Temple and my people?â demanded Juno, glaring down at Rom as he stood before him.
There was a further roar and hissing noises from the people. Rom looked straight into Junoâs eyes, âI do not know of Brudeâs military strategy. He does not confide in me. He doesnât like me and would like to kill me,â stated Rom in a loud deep voice.
âYou liar, Rom!â shouted Juno, who was now really angry. Rom and those nearest to Juno could see red flecks appearing in his eyes and the veins at Junoâs temples and neck were raised and throbbing. Rom feared he would be struck down there and then.
âThis is your last chance, are you going to tell me now or not!â yelled Juno. Rom slowly shook his head from side to side. âThen let the combat begin,â bellowed Juno, as he flung back his head with rage and slumped his body down on the seat of the throne exhausted.
The primal roaring sound from the crowd was deafening and sustained for a period before they too began to quieten their voices and settle into their seats waiting for the show to begin. The drums started to beat slowly and methodically in the background, adding to the atmosphere of expectation and urgency. Româs hands were unbound, and he quickly massaged them to try to prevent further feelings of cramping and pain.
One of the guards came forward, âChoose your weapons from here.â The guard pointed to a nearby pile of varied assortment of swords, daggers, shields etc.
Rom quickly rifled through the weaponry making a mental note of the condition of each. He chose a plain bronze sword, not too heavy to hold in his hand and also selected a long dagger which looked well worn but rapier sharp and he thrust this inside the webbing of his right leg attached to his heavy duty sandals. Then he reached for a shield to give him some protection around the head and chest area. His heart was beating fast and he was breathing deeply as he quickly spun around, to face the enemy.
There was Arnor, resplendent in his glittering gold chest armour, with a protective helmet over his head, holding a long oval shaped shield reaching to the ground. He had obviously chosen his weapons from another source. The two men eyed each other from a distance, waiting for the signal from Juno to advance to the middle of the arena.
There was a further roll of the drums and Juno beckoned the two men to go to the centre of the arena. The atmosphere was tense, with everyone concentrating their attention on the two
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