Page 33 of Dominion
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“You drop your shoulder every time you go to thrust,” Titus chastised.
“Which shoulder?” Mateo asked, looking from one shoulder to the other.
“Your right when you thrust. You fight with both swords, your opponent shouldn’t know how you’re going to attack,” Titus said. “Block with one sword, keep your shoulders straight, thrust with the other.”
Mateo took the lesson to heart, making a conscious effort not to give his moves away. He and Titus sparred for hours before lunch time. Both men had worked up quite a sweat, and in Titus’ case, quite the sexual appetite. Mateo waited in line for his bowl of oatmeal and when he got up to the pot, a spoonful of human shit was given to him.
“Gladiators eat stew. Slaves eat what came out of my ass,” the cook said.
Mateo looked at him, frowning in disgust. “We’re all slaves.”
“Some more valuable than others,” the man shot back.
“He’ll eat what I eat,” Titus said, then steeled his stance, challenging the man to refuse.
“You got your cock wet in his cunt and now he’s special?” the cook said.
“Cornelius, do you desire my foot in your ass?” Titus warned.
The man snarled a snaggle-tooth frown. “I reckon not. Fine.” Grudgingly, he took the bowl from Mateo’s hands that had the feces in it and gave him a new bowl with fresh stew. The aroma of the food drifted up to his nostrils and made his stomach growl in anticipation.
“Wise. And the next time you do that, I’ll make you eat it,” Titus warned, then took his bowl of chicken soup, which had been made with half a chicken, and two pieces of bread, then walked Mateo over to his table where Kodac and Helix were sitting.
“Sit,” Titus said, gesturing to the seat next to his.
Mateo took his seat and Titus gave him one of the pieces of bread. “Gratitude.” Already, he was benefiting from having sex with the champion of the house. God knew he didn’t want to eat the stale oatmeal he had been eating while being forced to watch the gladiators enjoy stews, soups, and even mixed vegetables. And he sure as fuck wasn’t going to eat Cornelius’ shit.
“Do you think he…” Mateo wondered if the cook put his feces anywhere else. The thought made him want to vomit, so he decided not to ask.
Titus chuckled. “Not if he wants his life,” he said, guessing what Mateo was going to ask. “Eat up, it’s good and safe.”
Mateo dipped his bread into the stew with the potatoes, carrots, peas, and beef cubes, then took a bite. He didn’t moan in pleasure at the taste, but he wanted to. It wasn’t as good as anything his mom could have made with a fresh kill from a successful hunt, but it was better than what he’d been eating for weeks.
“I wouldn’t get too attached,” Helix said.
Mateo looked up at the brooding gladiator who was glaring at him, obviously still cross that he’d been rejected the night before. “To what?” he asked.
“For you, to all this,” Helix gestured to the bowl of stew Mateo was eating. Then he turned his gaze to Titus. “To you—him, as I doubt he’ll survive the test.”
“Even with me training him?” Titus asked with a smirk. He didn’t let his friend’s grumpy attitude affect him.
Helix snorted and looked back at Mateo. “When your cunt is used up, he’ll be done with you.”
Mateo swallowed the food he had in his mouth, then replied, “And even then, I still wouldn’t want your cock inside me.”
Titus and Kodac laughed at the young man’s comeback.
“He might just have more of a chance than we expect,” Kodac said, grinning as he ate his meal.
Mateo smiled as he took another spoonful of his stew. He was more determined than they were giving him credit for, but he also didn’t mind that he’d been underestimated. As Cervantes had told him, “Let your enemy think less of you, so that when you do attack, they are caught off guard”. That was what he was going to do.
After lunch, they continued their training. Titus was put on strength training, and he sparred with Cervantes who noted the differences in his progress. But with seeing the improvement, also came tougher lessons, and Mateo found himself face-first in the sand several times. His nose busted and head throbbing from blows he did not see coming. All mistakes he planned on not repeating. The hours were long and grueling, and at the end of the day, he was sore and tired.
The gladiators were dismissed and the men shuffled off to the baths to relax and bathe, among other things. Mateo soaked in the tub, allowing the warm water to pamper his aching body. His eyes were closed as his head rested against the edge, but he opened them the moment he felt someone approaching.
Titus was grinning down at him as he waded through the water towards his target. He pressed his body against Mateo’s and leaned down, kissing him. Mateo returned his kiss, letting his tongue slip into Titus’ mouth to caress his. Titus growled, his lust evident and demanding as he pushed himself between Mateo’s legs.
