Free Gladiators vs Zombies by Sean-Michael Argo Page A

the arena, and it was a tempest of chariots, dust, gore, and golems. Many of the golems had been shorn at the legs or waist, and were crawling across the arena, dragging themselves along on their hands. One essedari had crashed his chariot though had recovered his sword and shield. As Cassius brought his chariot around he watch the essedari slay several of the golems, though the gladiator was soon dragged down by the crawling golems and devoured.
    Cassius thundered back onto the track, crashing his chariot into that of another, and their blades snapped off as each was caught in the spokes of the other’s wheel. The two men immediately moved their whips to their off hands and began fighting. Cassius reached for his second spear, only to find that somewhere in the melee it had been lost, so drew his sword, just barely twisting his torso out of the way of a thrust from the other gladiator’s spear. Cassius had to lean out of the chariot to slash at his opponent, while the other gladiator tried to keep his distance and impale Cassius upon the spear. After a flurry of blows the chariots rounded the corner, and both gladiators were forced to temporarily abandon their battle to guide their horses through the corner.
    As they took the corner a golem that had been cut in half had climbed aboard the former druid’s chariot, and it clawed at his shoulder, digging furrows in the man’s flesh. Cassius screamed and let go of the reigns as he bashed at the golem with the pommel of his sword. The golem fell away and disappeared into the dust. Cassius grasped his shield and stepped down from the chariot as it slowed to a halt. The horse that had been wounded by the arrow had finally worn out, and it collapsed on the ground.
    Cassius looked around the arena and saw that only the one essedari he had been fighting was still racing. All of the rest had crashed or been killed, two of them by his own hand. Cassius knew that he could not stop moving, as the arena was still crowded with golems, though all that remained were shorn and crawling. He dispatched two that were near him as he moved directly into the path of the final essedari. Cassius knew that if he had any hope of victory he had to un-seat the essedari so that he could not complete more laps and pull ahead in score. As the chariot drew near the enemy essedari drew his spear back for a throw, and Cassius ran directly at the chariot.
    At the last moment the enemy essedari hurled his spear and Cassius ducked underneath the shaft, then as the chariot passed by him he leapt over the remaining scything blade. As soon as he landed he hurled his shield like a discus, and at the short distance it struck the lower back of the enemy essedari, and he toppled from the chariot. The crowd was howling its applause as Cassius started sprinting for the other end of the track. He did not look behind him as he heard the sound of the enemy essedari being consumed by the crawling mass of golems.
    Cassius reached the other side of the track in time to take the reigns of the runaway chariot, taking it for himself. He then rode down the last of the golems, finishing the bout with a sizeable score in addition to being the sole survivor. The rudius was his mark of freedom to any Roman he crossed, for he was Cassius Rex the essedari. The coins of the winner’s purse bought his passage to the distant Green Isle, where the voices of his gods called to him as Maedoc the druid.

THE MANEAD
    The wine slid down her throat, burning sweetly as it made its way across her tongue. This was the rite, the act of worship, and only the first of many she would perform this day. Dionysus whispered within her soul, stoking the fires the wine had ignited, filling her with purpose and hardening her resolve. Her god was with her, and there was no dousing the fire set in her heart.
    Hesta looked at herself one last time in the mirror like surface of the water basin. No longer did she see the grim slave girl staring back at her. The