//------------------------------// // Chapter XX: Opening of the Amphitheatrum Caesarium. // Story: Lightning Bolt of Rome // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// The two stallions and the Emperor sat in his chariot as they made their way through the morning hours of Rome, on their way to see the opening of Caesar Titus’s project. The unicorn thought it was surreal that the chariot was being pulled by very tall equines with the mental state of loyal dogs. “Yeah, I know,” Lightning bolt nodded when Spear Head pointed at the horses, “I thought it was odd, too.” Wanting to change the conversation, Spear turned to the Emperor beside him. “So, this place we’re going, what should we expect to see over there?” “You’ll see.” Titus waved to the people on the street. “I’ve planned out something great for the entire day that will give the people of Rome a sight they’ve never seen before. And you two will be in the best seats, of course.” “Where is this place anyway?” The Caesar pointed over the rooftops towards a towering white marble theater with flagpoles at the top holding up a huge, indigo canopy. “Right over there, my Lords, and we’ll be going in as soon as we turn the corner here.” Once the escorted Imperial chariot made its turn, the Solar Guards both got a good look at the completed structure before them. It was a mass of carved and unblemished white marble that stood five stories high. It had arches, columns, and statues of heroes, gods, and goddesses. Hanging over parts of the curved exterior were red tapestries that had a golden eagle with its wings spread open. Below the eagle were the initials of the Empire ‘SPQR’ surrounded by an olive wreath. “It’s huge,” were the first words to come out of the unicorn’s mouth. Titus chuckled. “Oh Mars, you have not seen the best part yet.” After dismounting from the chariot, the Imperial escort walked through one of the building’s many archways and into the system of vaulted hallways. Bolt could see that there were many people around as the Praetorian Guards did their best to keep them at a distance. “Isn’t anyone being charged to enter?” Lightning Bolt asked. “I don’t really see a ticket booth anywhere.” “Not today,” Titus wagged his finger. “For this grand opening, admission is free to all. Even slaves are welcome.” After walking up a set of stairs, the three of them entered the Emperor’s private box of the massive stadium. In all of their lives, the pegasus from Cloudsdale and the unicorn from Fillydelphia had never seen a space like this. While it wasn’t as titanic as the Circus Maximus was, the oval-shaped theater housed rows upon rows of people from nearly all walks of life, all sitting in their seats and waiting for the show. The sea of humans greeted the three with a deafening roar. Looking up, Bolt spotted a thick ring of a canopy that blocked the morning sun’s rays. Below them stood the oval-shaped arena made out of gravel and sand. “HAIL JUPITER! HAIL MARS! HAIL TITUS!” Caesar Titus respectfully waved at the spectators before taking his seat. The other two stallions took their spots in the throne-like seats that were covered in gold leafing and rare jewels. ‘A little too opulent for my taste,’ both ponies though. As soon as they were seated, the Emperor signaled for the first part of the opening ceremony to begin. The first people to come out onto the open area were driven out at spear-point. There were at least forty or fifty people who were placed at the center of the arena before the guards backed away. Suddenly, in several places of the arena, trapdoors opened up, letting out lions, tigers, and other wild cats by the score. They all circled the people in the center. “Uh, hey,” Spear turned to Titus, “what’s going on?” The Emperor chuckled. “Can’t you tell? It’s breakfast time.” The unicorn’s eyes widened as he looked over to his Captain in shock, but Bolt’s eyes were glued to the arena. “Who are they? Spear asked. “Prisoners and traitors to the Empire.” He pointed toward a few that were huddled together. “For example, those ones are some of Jupiter’s kidnappers. We were lucky enough to get most of them. As much of a nuisance as they can be, Christians can be very hard to capture. And over there are the two guards that failed to protect your father while they were on duty.” “Doesn’t that seem a little harsh?” the Drill Sergeant asked before a scream was heard, one of the lions finally deciding to pounce at the group. “This is poetic justice,” Titus waved his hand. “Besides, the people love this.” Another scream pierced the air and the crowd went ecstatic at seeing blood being spilled. Some of the unfortunate ones tried to run around the arena while others tried climbing the walls. They found out very quickly that their efforts were for naught. While some of the wild cats were chasing after their kills, there were others that hung near the edges of the pit, as if they were afraid. Once the animals were fed, and shot by archers shortly after, the arena was cleared of leftover carcasses to make room for the next event. The next ones to come out onto the arena were gladiators, much to the delight of the spectators. “Now here’s the sport we were all waiting to see!” Titus nudged the unicorn. “Being the God of War, I hope this will please you.” “Uh… sure.” Spear turned back to the pit. “Titus?” “Yes?” “Since you’re here, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something important.” The Emperor leaned over. “What about?” “It’s about my, uh… father here.” He pointed to the pegasus. “I think it should be appropriate that I take him back home.” “Oh?” “Well, you said so yourself, he’s not exactly in the right state of mind. Perhaps taking him back home would be for the best so that the other gods can cure him once and for all. However, I realize that I may need to ask for your help.” “What sort of help?” “Escorts, for sure,” the unicorn said before the bloody fighting began. “The cloud that we came through has moved. However, I’ve been studying it and I’ve noticed that it follows a certain pattern. Apparently, this cloud goes through a cycle that causes it to fly over Rome once every few years. However, we don’t exactly have that kind of time, so we want to return as swiftly as possible.” “I do not understand what you need my help for. You two are gods, after all.” “Yes, but even gods can only accomplish so much. With these bodies, we still fall into mortal traps, such as hunger and sleep. What I’m proposing here is an escort, an expedition company if you will, to the place where we will meet the cloud and return home.” Titus leaned back in his chair, putting a hand underneath his chin. “Such an expedition will need to be voted on by the Senate.” “Then I’ll convince them. After all,” Spear smirked, “I am a god. Who is going to oppose the will of the gods?”