Stowaway Slaves by David Grimstone

CHAPTER I
    THE ESCAPE
    S lavious Doom was well-known in Avellino, and not simply because his arena loomed over the little town like an angry giant. The overlord was famous for his cruelty, and there was much evidence of this in the tortured screams that regularly erupted from the arena floor.
    Despite these fears, the townsfolk managed to go about their everyday lives, largely ignoring the fiendish activities that took place on their borders.
    But now nothing could hide the army of arena guards that marched through the gates of Avellino and began barging their way into people’s homes.
    All over the town, muscled feet connected with old doors, splintering weak wood and forcing it away from the frames.

    Men, women, and children were thrown aside like rag dolls as the guards, many of them expressionless and moving as though they were being controlled by a particularly ruthless puppet master, overturned tables and chairs. The guards ripped open bedding and ransacked cupboards in their efforts to find the escaped slaves.

    Beneath the town, an even more frantic search was taking place . . .
    The dogs raced along the tunnel, throwing up foul water all around them as their enormous paws sprang off the sewer floor. Despite all being part of the same pack, they were biting and clawing one another at every turn . . . and only seemed to concentrate on their goal when the sewer opened up before them.

    The guards who were supposed to be handling the dogs were in deep trouble, and they knew it. The pack had broken free soon after they’d entered the tunnels, breaking their leashes and wounding several of the guards in the process. Most of the dogs were deformed by years of savage beatings and the rest were simply deranged. If the escaped children were in the tunnels, they wouldn’t survive an encounter with the dogs . . . and the guards had clear instructions from Doom to bring Decimus Rex back alive.
    â€œDown there!” screamed the guard captain, a vein standing out on his neck as he splashed madly through the sewer. “You with the sword—take the opposite tunnel! We need to get those dogs back NOW!”
    The guards broke off in different directions as the tortured howls of the dogs echoed in the distance.

    â€œThis is crazy,” said Olu, trying to cover his nose and mouth to avoid breathing in the tunnel’s horrific stench. “We’re going to get caught and thrown into the dungeon like all the others. We’ll never be heard from again!”
    â€œNah,” said Decimus, turning to Olu with a wide smile on his face. “The aqueduct is the LAST place they’ll look. It would be different if we’d gone missing INSIDE the arena, but we didn’t. They KNOW we scaled the wall, so they’ll be looking outside—they’ve probably raided half of Avellino by now. When that fails, they’ll assume we’re miles away! Besides, even if they do follow us down here, they’ll never find us—this place is a maze!”

    The two slaves hurried along the low tunnel, trying to keep to one side to avoid splashing through the sludgy mix of filth and foul-smelling water that rushed beneath them.
    After a few seconds, Decimus stopped and threw back a hand to block Olu from overtaking him.
    â€œWhat is it?” said the boy, his eyes scanning the tunnel ahead of them.
    â€œA grate,” Decimus whispered as voices became audible in the distance. “It’s the one we always passed in the tunnel when they led us out.”
    â€œAnd that tunnel is always crawling with guards.”
    Decimus nodded, and craned his neck to see around the bend in the tunnel. A shaft of light flowed from the grate and penetrated the gloom.
    â€œIt’s going to be difficult to get around, so we need to choose our moment carefully.”
    Decimus waited a few more seconds, then crawled around the bend. Olu took a deep breath and followed. By the time he had negotiated the curve in