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<br/>​</div>Between a rock and a hard place. That was typically where Yannis found himself. He had to wonder if his Dominus hadn't already had the replacement at the ready. Celsus was an old dog but he'd deserved better than what he'd got. Celsus was discontent and with a little provocation, Yannis was put in a situation where he had a choice to make. He'd never wanted to die but neither did he want to lay down belly up to Regulus, and that's sort of what it felt like. His Dominus was smug; satisfied with his performance. This display of loyalty that robbed Celsus of the common courtesy of a noble death.<br/><br/>Yannis fought in the name of Regulus Macatus but that truly drove the last nail in the coffin. He was owned. A loyal dog that would come to the defense of his master. Time had softened his rage. He'd become complacent. Tiberius in his ear, telling him to not make things so difficult for himself. He wasn't sure he even took any issue with it anymore. He understood. Regulus took it that he was accepting proper place; like he'd brought him to heel under an expert hand.<br/><br/>Celsus had molded him into what he was. He'd known the man for years. Probably owed him his life in a lot of ways. He'd taught him in the murmillo style as it was both what Celsus was most competent at and also suited Yannis' broad frame. His height had brought its share of challenges but Yannis made up for it with strength. Defend and outlast. Don't allow your opponent to give you the run around and strike when someone got in close. His tutor was gone now and Yannis would have to stand on his own. He was ready for it. He thought that had been Regulus' purpose. He'd been wrong.<br/><br/>Doctore's body had barely gotten cold it seemed before another was being brought it. A stranger to them that would take position unearned. Naturally, this didn't sit well with many of the men but at least they had something to direct their energy rather than take affront with one another. Everyone had been a bit tetchy, Yannis among them, provoking fights when opportunity presented itself. Few were considered friend. Tiberius had grown on him with time but he also wasn't any sort of competition. Just a slave that found it easy to keep his head down. Favored by Regulus for his obedience. By extension that made Tiberius's friends few as well, especially the newer, more hostile recruits.<br/><br/>Time would wear on anyone. Tiberius was right, and he'd known far longer than most of them. Wiser than they realized, though it set like a heavy stone in the pit of Yannis' stomach at what he was watching himself turn into. Especially as he held and wore those benefits. If Regulus was expecting gratitude or some form of prostrating he wasn't quite there yet. Yannis was losing himself. What he'd been. That meant he was losing his brother because all that was left were memories and he wasn't fit to reflect upon them. He stood for little. Fought on the whim of a single man for<i>entertainment</i>. He might have been a foolish and overzealous soldier, unprepared for the real trails of war, but his life had once held purpose.<br/><br/>Yannis used to entertain the hopeful notion of being reunited with his brother. As he learned all the lessons this new life had to teach his hopes were slowly chipped away. Realistically, it was highly unlikely, and even less so with time. The lives of men, especially those that had stood as enemies of Rome, were expendable. Gladiators lived short lives. It was a game of chance. Yannis mourned his brother like he mourned his former self.<br/><br/>They'd all heard Regulus' words but only a few turned their heads up to him. Even with Celsus around, they could be a bit lax as far as giving their Dominus focused attention. Maybe Celsus' lack of control was partly to blame for the unsatisfactory nature of things.<br/><br/>Yannis was resting off to the side, hunched over and taking a drink. He hadn't stood. Many hadn't. Those that had their backs turned scrambled when the roar of a beast the likes of which Yannis had never seen spread across the training yard. It had lunged, agitated. Those that were nearby hadn't processed that it was leashed. They all watched now, the training yard going uncharacteristically quiet. The creature had circled back around, chuffed towards the man that held it in chains and paced the length of which the restraint would allow.<br/><br/>There were only a few times Yannis had seen everyone look to Regulus, frozen in anticipation as they awaited some sort of direction. They'd been so caught off guard, unprepared and unable to process. Yannis had seen a few fights between gladiator and large, tawny-colored maneaters. It wasn't so common in Capua and it always riled the crowd to watch a gladiator be torn apart by such beasts. This one with it's stripes was new to him but it was easy to imagine what it was capable of. How that fellow kept it from snaking its way back up the tether to maul him was beyond Yannis' understanding. Then it occurred to him what his Dominus had been saying.<br/><br/>A worthy replacement. This was the new Doctore.<br/><div style="text-align: right">​</div><div style="text-align: left">​</div>