Soldier of Rome: Heir to Rebellion (The Artorian Chronicles) by James Mace Page B

seek ultimate power. I know who you are; you are Delios, two-time winner of the Olympiad Pankration.”
    “And I know you are,” Delios said with a smile. “You are Titus Artorius Justus, Legion Champion of the Twentieth Valeria and one of the most feared close-combat fighters ever to come from Rome. Yes, I do keep tabs on the more well-known legionaries in our community. But tell me; are you as skilled without your weapons as you are with them?”
    “Perhaps you can tell me,” Artorius replied, a smile crossing his face. Delios returned it and set his towel down.
    “Pankration is an ancient form of combat. It is a conglomeration of the words pan and kratos , and it literally means all power . When you face a man with your bare hands, when you seek to find pankration, it becomes the quest for ultimate power.” Artorius found himself utterly enthralled with what Delios was saying. He then realized that pankration was the perfect complement to his physical strength. Without another word being said, both men stepped onto the mat and faced each other.
    Unarmed combat w as a basic skill taught to all legionaries, though emphasis was placed on it being used as a last resort, and only until one could retrieve his weapons. Artorius knew that his training paled in comparison to what Delios had spent as a life study. Nevertheless, he settled into a fighting stance similar to that which he would with weapons. The most crucial difference was that he kept his hands up by his head in order to block against strikes. He had wrestled with bulls as a young man, and he knew that he held a dominating strength advantage over his opponent. He understood that Delios recognized this as well.
    As both men advanced on each other, Delios started throwing rapid punches at Artorius. As blows bounced off his hands and forearms, Delios landed a hard kick to the outside of Artorius’ thigh. This caused Artorius to panic slightly and he shot in to take out Delios’ legs. This is exactly what the Greek expected. Artorius was surprised that Delios actually let him take him to the ground, where he wrapped his legs around the Roman’s waist; a move which isolated Artorius and hindered his movement. In spite of being immobilized, he proceeded to hammer his fist into the man’s side and head, all the while Delios remained calm, trying to get a grip on one of Artorius’ arms. Artorius realized what Delios was attempting, and immediately ceased in his blows. He found himself wrestling with the Greek, and strangely enough found that though on top he was on the defensive. The Greek was a master of leverage, something which negated an enormous amount of Artorius’ strength. As Delios started to pry one of the Roman’s arms loose, Artorius would drop his fist or elbow into his face. Delios then moved his head to one side, causing Artorius to drive his fist into the mat. With lightening reflexes, Delios let the other arm go and grabbed onto the one Artorius had punched with. He then wrapped both his legs around the arm as well, arching his back and driving Artorius onto his. The young Roman was shocked to find himself on his back, his arm stretched out in Delios’ grip. He felt his elbow joint start to hyperextend; his shoulder joint being pried apart as well. He started slapping his free hand onto the mat in the same manner the defeated combatant had earlier. Delios released his arm and both men stood up. Delios had fresh bruises on his face and his ribs were red and battered.
    “You are incredibly strong,” Delios observed, “not to mention naturally talented. You have decent wrestling skills, and you are a respectable striker on the ground. However, you don’t seem to know the first thing about submissions, and your striking on the feet is rudimentary at best. Would you like to learn these skills, as well as others?”
    “I would be honored,” Artorius replied with a nod. In truth he deeply respected this man. It was ironic that most Greeks were