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Even as the sun was beginning to rise, it was clear that it was going to be a hot day. The sky was a brilliant purple, as the sphere of the sun, driven by the god's chariots of fire, peeked it's tip above the horizon. The Mansion built around the Ludus allowed an incredible view. To the East, the Ludus was walled high, maybe up to 30 feet high, with sharp spikes at the top. To the north was open ground and the road leading away from the Ludus onto the main road, which either led to the north of Maro, or to the metropolis itself. To the west was the villa, elegantly and yet simply built, easily maintained with a small number of servants and yet beautiful enough to entertain guests of higher breeding.

But the true beauty of the place came from what was to the East. There was no wall there, merely a sharp cut, like the gods had seen the mountain and cut it in half. The drop was sharp, and more than a hundred feet down, too smooth to scale down, and the rock too hard to allow any tools to be used upon it. The view, looking down over the city was breathtaking, especially in the evening when the sun set over it with shades of fiery red and orange.

This was the view that Canis now enjoyed, with the sun hidden to his back behind the roof, and the view of the shadows slowly creeping away from the city. The hustle and bustle of the place was deafening, even at this hour, but from here it looked like the city still slept. Canis was seated at a table where the servants had laid out a meal for him. He was a simple man of simple tastes, had been since he had been in his Legion. Dark bread and yellow cheese, not too strong or biting, with some cold and spiced chicken wings and fruits along with an assortment of pastries. His only vice was the wine, which was old and rich, speaking of warm sun and rain, skilled hands and a good oak barrel that aged it over 20 years. It was dry, as wine should be, and heady, touched with a bit of honey to keep it from upsetting the stomach in the early morning. The Lanista sat and ate in silence.

His head flickered around at the silent footfalls of someone approaching him from behind. He smiled as he saw the hulking frame of his second in Command, the Doctore Heimdal as he moved in closer.

"Damn," The Northman cursed playfully," It is impossible to sneak up on you. You have the ears of a hare."

Canis laughed and shook his head, offering the man a plate," No my friend, I am all but deaf. It is because your steps cause a veritable earthquake when they strike the ground."

Heimdal's eyes narrowed," I aught to crush you, little man," He growled.

"You would trip on your entrails before you could take a thunderous step, you blundering idiot," Canis laughed, and was joined my the giant, who took a sip of the honeyed wine, coughing a bit.

"How can you drink this sewage?"

"It's an acquired taste," Canis conceded with a chuckle," You can ask for some ale or a juice from the servants," At the mention, a young woman stepped forward.

"Ehew, it is too early for ale, I think. Some of that delicious fruit juice, if you please," She bowed lightly and left the room silently. The huge man's feature, flat and hard, scowled," Feels odd to be ordering slaves around. It wasn't too long ago when we were in their shoes, obeying every whim and order from their masters, no matter how cruel and depraved. Now we are the masters."

Canis nodded, as he had felt the same way as he had bought the slaves from the previous owner of the ludus, and again as he had bought his gladiators from the slave market. He still remembered them. The ones that had been broken he hadn't given a second thought towards. No matter the amount of skill that they possessed, they lacked the strength of mind that it took to face a man in the arena, with thousands upon thousands of stranger chanting for their blood. He had picked out the strong, but also the hearty, healthy both in body and mind, the ones that looked a him and the other bidders with gazes filled with hatred. Far from feeling the humiliation and pressure of their situation, they still clung to their humanity and would fight to keep it.

He had no doubts for all but a few. The young woman that the slaver had practically begged him to take off his hands. The lean young man that had the looks of a Grecian to him, and one or two others. But as much as he trusted his own eye for gladiators, he trusted Heimdal's more. He had lost many a Denar to the giant on bets of who would do well in the Arenas. The man would read people as some men could read tracks and that, among many other qualities, made him indispensable as a Doctore.

"You have the first Ludus with more than one Doctore, Canis," Heimdal grunted, drawing the older man from his thoughts," And among the first to have a female one too. You take risks, like any gladiator should. But the die is cask, and cannot be taken back. All you can do is play with number that the gods have seen fit to give you."

Canis chuckled," I know," He turned and looked at the man in the eye," You are a free man now, my friend. It means that you can lay in bed for longer than you could have as a slave. Why do you not?"

The giant chuckled," Old habits die hard," He looked down on the sand of their training area where the other Doctores had gathered for their morning meal. There was silence among them, but Canis could see the furtive glances that the men were casting towards the women. The respect was there, as they had all seen each other in action the day before as the prepared for their recruits, but they were still men, and the women were beautiful. He chuckled as the thought came to him that they were trying to be subtle as they watched the women, but as he could see it from this distance, he was sure that the women could see it too.

A sharp sound a bugle sounded outside the gates and they all stood as a guard moved over to open the gates. five armed men moved inside with 12 men and 8 women in tow, all of varying sizes, colors and shapes. Canis moved down to the training area along with Heimdal and saw to the official transfer of slaves as their chains were removed, and lined up as the Doctores sized them up, whispering among themselves.