25th July, 722 BNM

Early Afternoon

Chamitaly, Romane Imperial Homeland

Romane metropolis

Colosseum, arena.

The yellow fur of Kalmai was exposed, his black mane flying, as he charged the large dog gladiator, bloodthirsty to spill blood in anyway associated with the Romanes. They took his sister, turned her, and he would make anyone associated with them pay for it.

As he had stormed past, clear of the blades of the other gladiators, Mashri had raised her sword, and readied herself. The brown horse, clad in her Centurion Armour, back stepped as her brother began to hack and swipe at her with the ends of his hooves.

As he swung, Mashri caught a glimpse of metal, and saw the familiar Iulian raider blade horsehoes they so frequently used, to cut and stomp at the same time.

As Mashri backed up, deflecting her brother's hoof swipes and the odd hoof held blade lance at her head with her shield and sword, the other 4 Saddle Arabian horses engaged the 4 gladiators.

The 2 Chamois males ducked as the two horses charged them, and with some quick thinking the taller Horse turned and kicked out suddenly, striking one of the twins in the hoof, breaking the joint and sending him dropping his sword as the hoof and joint shattered.

Falling back a bit from the pain and shock, the Chamois male saw the other get tackled by the smaller horse, screaming as he was hurled onto the ground. Rearing up, the Iulian fighter snorted as he brought the bladed horseshoes down.

Rolling desperately, the other Chamois cried out as one of the many hoofstomps sliced his flank slightly with a glancing blow. Adrenaline pumping, the Chamois gladiator drew his sword mid roll, wincing as it almost dug into his own skin, before he swiped out when his sword hoof rolled out from under him.

Mid rear, the crowds echoing the screams given by the horse, the lower leg went flying as the gladius sword cleaved it clean off. Staggering, the horse fell over, clearly unable to fight anymore.

As the Chamois male scrambled up, he saw the other of their two horse enemies striding over to where the other Chamois backed up, foreleg 'wrist' broken. Scrambling over to the wounded and bleeding horse, he ripped the horseshoe off his foot, ignoring the horse's pained yells at this.

Hurling it, the Chamois grimaced as it missed, but he had got the other horse's attention.

As the horse turned to him, the Chamois readied another horse shoe, bending over to pick it up.

Something shunted through his chest, as a spear tip protruded from his front all of a sudden. Yells from the crowd rose at the sight of the spear skewering the gladiator.

Keeling over in shock, the Chamois saw the horse he'd distracted turn from him back to the first chamois, looking pleased. Behind him, the 3rd horse, having broken away from the Minotaur Braxius, gave a roar of victory at this kill.

But the roar turned to rage as the other horse, mid turn, had been cleaved in the head as he turned to fight the same broken wristed Chamois he'd been distracted from killing.

Sword clutched in his hand, he pulled it from the blood stained hood and cloaked horse's head, the Chamois male falling back onto 3 legs as the horse's body fell down dead.

As the 3rd horse began to advance, a loud stomping sounded behind him, as a Minotaur, whom he'd merely kicked in the face to near unconsciousness to help his comrade, snorted before raising the massive axe he wielded.

Braxius bellowed as the axe came down, the horse leaping aside before being cleaved in two. His face was bloody and scratched from the spiked horseshoes to the face, and he was livid beyond anything else.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE FINISHED ME AND NOT HELPED YOUR FRIEND!"

Surging forwards, the Horse drew a knife and lunged for the Minotaur's neck, while his axe was still in the ground. Raising a hand to grab the knife, Braxius was slightly to slow.

The knife plunged into his hand palm, but imbedded there, and while Braxius wrenched away in pain, the knife came with it from the horse's hoof. In instinct, Braxius lunged out with his other arm, knocking the horse down with a blow to the face.

Dazed and concussed, the horse staggered to his knees as he gaped at the sight. Braxius winced, but curled his hand into a fist, the knife imbedded there forming a spike from the top of it. One hand then wrenched forwards, grabbing the horse by the mane painfully, while the backhanded attack with the knife came.

The crowds bellowed as Braxius slammed the dead horse down to the ground from his hands, knife still in his hand, roaring his victory himself.

Seeing Mashri still backpedalling, Kalmai not letting up but clearly being unskilled, Caikus outran his opponent, the horse continuously chasing him.

Why hasn't she killed him yet? She has more skill, its obvious!

Then it clicked:

She may not be able to kill her own brother.

No matter how loyal one way, killing a family member was hard full stop.

Seeing he had his own problem, Caikus suddenly turned, dashing in his sprinting towards the wall. By the sounds of it anyway, Braxius would want a go at Kalmai once he finished off that wounded, 3 hoofed Horse the only Chamois gladiator that died had wounded.

As he turned, the walls of the arena came up, while Caikus suddenly stopped, whipping around to see the Saddle Arabian horse come lunging at him, blades out. Side stepping, Caikus winced as a hoof strike suddenly hit his punch swinging arm, the horse faster than expected.

Rearing up, the horse went for the kill, but Caikus rolled back and thrust his own legs out, catching the hoofs mid air with some bleeding and pain from his feet to show for it.

Wincing, Caikus saw the bloodlust in the horse's eyes, through the cloak hood, as the horse's weight forced Caikus's legs to beneath him. But Caikus braced himself for pain, as he made his move.

Lunging up as much as he could, Caikus grabbed the torso cloak of the horse, and rolled backwards, the horse shoes slicing his skin slightly as he rolled back, and kicked the horse backwards into the arena wall only 5 feet away.

A loud crack went up as the horse slammed into the wall head first, bending the neck at a fatal angle. Crowds roared, and some cheering bystandars leaned over the edge of the wall to see the victorious dog.

Caikus winced, breathing hard as he saw the slice and gash marks on his legs. He would live.

Over in the centre of the arena, the last fight was going on.

A roar went up as Braxius had taken his axe and finished off the wounded horse, cleaving the horse's head in two. Snorting, hand hurting from the knife, Braxius looked around, seeing Kalmai still assault Mashri with his blades. She was clearly holding back.

"More for me."

Braxius's bellow mirrored the crowd as he charged. He was liked by the crowds for being a brute force, while Caikus was overall a skilled fighter with strength greater than his size let on.

Mashri was military trained, burly, but clearly unwilling to kill a family member.

That issue was an easy fix for him.

Stomping over, getting used to the hot stinging in his knife stuck hand, Braxius bellowed to the 2 fighting horses:

"You're supposed to be the Venatrix, HAH! Let me at him, I'll deal with that slimy little barbarian!"

"Stay out of this Braxius!" Mashri bellowed, while Kalmai gave the Minotaur a look of puzzlement, but turned into outrage as he saw that the other 4 of his followers were dead. One of them had been a higher rank than him among his tribe, the best fighter.

Braxius began to run faster towards them, and Kalmai seized the moment as Mashri lunged out with a sword, aimed for his ankle. Sidestepping, Kalmai headbutted Mashri and grabbed her back armour by one hoof, shoving her towards Braxius as she was dazed by the blow.

As Mashri stumbled, Braxius angrily shoved her aside with one arm, the horse stumbling to the ground, regaining her senses as the Minotaur descended upon the horse she'd been fighting for 3 minutes straight now.

Kalmai was tired, and Braxius was bigger. The yellow furred, black maned horse was faster though, as he leaped sideways to avoid the massive axe come crashing down to cleave any part of him off, and the horse leapt forwards, hoof outstretched.

Some blood flew as the spiked horseshoe slashed Braxius's face again, the Minotaur's face now bleeding very noticeably. Utterly enraged, Braxius seized Kalmai by the neck, standing upright to hoist the horse into the air as he choked him with one hand. Gasping and struggling, Kalmai kicked desperately, the spiked horseshoes slashing at the Minotaur's torso armour uselessly.

Struggling, Kalmai then thrust an arm upwards, and caught Braxius under the lower arm, the pain from the shoe spiked going in there making him drop Kalmai.

Dropping, the horse wrenched a knife from under his cloak, and plunged it into the side of the torso, in a gap in the armour.

Hands shooting out, Braxius caught the stab by Kalmai's foreleg, the knife not going in very deep, but he felt it. At the same time, the knife blade protruding from Braxius's hand palm went into Kalmai's foreleg, making the horse scream slightly through the pain as he clenched his jaw for the final strike.

Weakening from the blood loss and diminished strength, Braxius breathed heavily as he held Kalmai's knife holding hoof with both hands, as he saw Kalmai pulled back his hoof to punch him in the face again.

A brown and Centurion armoured blur tackled Kalmai, the knife wrenching from Braxius's side, and the knife from his hand slashing and cutting Kalmai's foreleg badly as it came out. The Minotaur staggered onto his knees from tiredness as Mashri panted, letting Kalmai struggle on the ground while she stood nearby, spear in hoof.

Getting slowly to his feet, Kalmai drew his sword out in the forehoof that hadn't been stabbed. Again he charged, clearly slower this time. Mashri was tired too, but she wasn't wounded.

His sword hammered her shield, but she flicked it up to send his hoof and blade flying up. Spinning, she drove her forehoof into Kalmai's head, staggering him. As Kalmai recovered, spitting blood slightly as he slashed upwards, Mashri backed up, swinging her shield sideways, catching his forehoof as he swung upwards, knocking the curved blade from his hoof.

Blood and saliva flying, Kalmai charged, his bladed horseshoes constantly swinging wide and hard, no technique at this stage. Backing up, blowing aside one swing with a shunt from her shield face, the Centurion mare swung her sword, drawing some blood from a slice on Kalmai's rear leg.

Staggering to a stop, Kalmai glared at her as she stood by, before he made one last swing with his hoof, before Mashri caught it with her sword, slicing his hoof badly before she then swung her shield around, smashing the metal face into Kalmai's to send him sprawling on the floor, broken and beaten.

The crowd began to chant, the call for death ringing in Mashri's ears. She saw Kalmai on the ground spit up some blood, peering at her through his tired, but still rage fuelled eyes:

"They trust your loyalty only when you kill me, your own brother! That's who you abandoned your family for, savages!"

"No Kalmai. They want me to kill a criminal, and an enemy of the empire. And you were willing to kill me, your own sister, so don't preach of savagery to me."

"I see no sister of mine, just a Romane piece of filth."

Seeing the hurt, but mostly anger in Kalmai's gaze, Mashri raised her spear above her head, but paused.

To kill her own brother, to live with it. Could she do it?

The crowds chanted louder, demanding death. Mashri made her choice.

"Romane morality views killing family as wrong. I can't kill you." Mashri decided, not at all regretting her choice.

Kalmai spat at her, which Mashri ignored, while the crowds grew angrier. Turning, she knew how to get the crowds on all their sides:

"But you must die for your crimes against Romane anyway."

She ignored the roaring crowds as she approached the weaker Braxius, the Minotaur looking thankful as she came over and hoisted him up, visibly struggling with his weight.

A few choice words into Braxius's ears, and as Mashri handed Braxius the spear, the crowds roared positively once again. After all, it was fitting that Braxius get the last kill, he'd been the most impressive. Mashri lasted longest, and she had proven her loyalty. But Braxius would have over half the kills in this match thanks to Mashri being 'generous'.

Kalmai scowled hard towards Mashri, as she watched impassively, not enjoying or regretting her choices. Removing her helmet, the brown maned and furred Mare gave him a look of certainty, and sigh of relief as she saw Braxius come to stop, looming over the brother that had been one reason for all her recent troubles.

Overhead, Braxius grinned widely as he hoisted the spear up, while Kalmai harshly spat one last time at Mashri, before the spear plunged through his cloak and armour into his back.

The crowds exploded, while the guards then swarmed the arena to escort the 4 living gladiators, 3 of whom needed medical help, back to their quarters.

But staying behind slightly, Mashri stood over the speared body of her brother, laying a single hoof on it as an impartial farewell to him.

She was free, redeemed now, and had her rank back. And yet, such hard choices that she hadn't expected to be altogether at once.

29th July, 722 BNM

Early Afternoon

Chamitaly, Romane Imperial Homeland

Romane metropolis

Tavern

A few days for her to recuperate were granted, before she was to begin to serve under her old rank and in the same army force as before.

Her commanding officers had welcomed her back, and so had her comrades, but they would never again think of her possibly committing treason after the events she went through.

In a larger Romane outskirts tavern, where there was a small rented room she resided in, until she returned to the garrison, Mashri had met with the two wizards who had strangely confided in her during her Colosseum days.

One of them had intervened, engineering the events that gained her freedom, saying he merely made what was going to happen separately happen together, her earning her freedom mixing with confronting the very person she was both helping and betrayed by.

Tavern eating area

Siral had been quiet, while Starswirl had apologised on their behalf, saying Siral was too intervening, while he himself perhaps wasn't involving himself enough.

"In short, we had disagreements over whether destiny is left alone, or should be interfered with."

Taking a small gulp from her cup of wine, the brown horse having only a few more questions:

"You are very strange, you two. Starswirl the Bearded, and Siral the Savant. Odd names. But why again, and I know you are hiding something from me, but why me?"

"We are seekers of knowledge, we want to see what examples of certain virtues are, so we can pass them on as teachings proper to others we meet." Starswirl's words were honest, but still hiding something. She knew she was unlikely to get more out of them.

"Romane has plenty of philosophers and Priests, I don't think you'll find much here that hasn't already been a subject for them."

At Mashri's remark, Starswirl gave a small laugh, while Siral continued to look a little sheepish. Noticing this, Mashri turned to the black Unicorn, saying with honesty, both brutal and thankful:

"You helped me, and action speaks louder than words. As painful as what you organised was, it worked, as many a hard decision in life is. But don't go behind the backs of those that could help, its not smart and causes trouble."

With a strained nod, Siral said nothing while Mashri then reached into her tunic pocket:

"I wanted to give you something, a token of my thanks. Its not much, but it's better than just memories."

Reaching in, she pulled out a rather unremarkable looking object. A gladius sword, though the edges looked worn from use. Her chief weapon from her gladiator time during which she had to decide, and prove her loyalties to Romane, and against her own Iulian blood kin.

"I won't be needing this with the equipment the proper army shall give me. And, it may well serve you as well as it did me in a time of great need."

Blinking slightly, Starswirl reached out with his blue magic hue, engulfing the sword in its light, before he remarked with some thankfulness:

"Thank you, and a way for me to easily carry it is all I will do to it."

The sword flashed blue as it shrank to the size of a money purse, and Starswirl placed the miniaturised sword, sheathed and all, into a pocket lining his cloak.

With not much more to be said, Mashri stood up to bid the two wizards goodbye.

As Starswirl and Siral rose however, the brown horse engulfed each of them in a one hoofed hug, patting their backs before letting go. The noticeably larger mare then gave a smile, with a quick salute, before she made to leave with a few parting words:

"Good fortune to your travels, Siral, Starswirl."

That would be the last either of the two wizards ever saw of Mashri, as they left without another word hours later, heading for the mountains north of Romane's metropolis.

During their next era of visitation, Romane itself would have dramatically changed, and undoubtedly time would have consumed the mare they came to know, with only a shrunken gladius sword to remember her by.

30th July, 722 BNM

Early Afternoon

Chamitaly, Romane Imperial Homeland

Mountains north of Romane metropolis

Hidden mountaintop.

It was secluded, and cold, but not too high for snowdrifts to ever fully cover its expanse.

But within the small valley, the two wizards stood by, while Starswirl readied to drink the familiar blue potion that had first sent him through time.

He'd already sensed when the prophecy prompted his time travels to come out next, and with a bracing breath, he turned to Siral:

"I take it you shall be following?"

Pulling out a white liquid bottle, Siral remarked with some rare mirthful humour: "Like a shadow, you won't lose me anytime soon."

In time, the shadow remark by Siral would take on new meanings, in more ways than one.

But for now, as the potions were drunk, the blue robed, grey furred and white maned/beared Unicorn vanished in a flash of bright blue light. 20 seconds later, after focusing, the Grey robed, black furred and white maned Unicorn had drunk his potion, and Siral once again had followed Starswirl to whenever he would appear next.

But the lessons of Loyalty, and its costs, had been taken by both as an education.

And more was to come still, this was just one of a few stops guaranteed to teach them.

Author's Notes:

The Loyalty arc is finished, next stop, the MAGIC arc. And in a rather different setting mind you. With the sort of themes of each arc, until things start shaking up slightly, the next arc or two may in fact only be 4 chapters long. Can't guarantee they'll be as short chapters as these Loyalty ones were though.

And Loyalty's artefact, a gladiator sword from Mashri. Personal items will come from each exemplar being.