Taboo- KO

‘Then you’ll die,’ she said, striking the wooden spear shaft hard across his head.

The clattering of plates and pots stirred Drew from his slumber, stabbing his skull like hot knives. He had a horrific headache, every noise hitting home as a hammer strikes an anvil. He’d been deposited on a trestle table in the mess, a corner of the ludus that doubled as both dining area and surgery. His presence hadn’t prevented his fellow slaves and gladiators from taking their seats. They surrounded him, glowering as he tried to shuffle clear. A canopy of palm fronds overhead protected them from the worst of the midday heat, the training having halted while the gladiators ate and drank.

B3 P1 C5