<strong>Aulus after a successful combination attack</strong><br/><br/>The execution had been flawless, the contact and positioning was exactly as he predicted, and despite the consequence of her landing in close proximity to the weapon he was satisfied with the actions.   This was a different Aulus than before. Originally he seemed clumsy if not shy in communicating with people.  In matters of fighting technique, he had been sensory to attacks, and even not able to take a blow after such a drop.  To be honest, had it not been for Ryann’s kick he most likely would have ended up dead.  The front kick against his forearms had created enough pain combined with putting him on the verge of death with a small cliff shortly behind him.  Now Aulus was more unpredictable, faster, perhaps even able to ignore pain for tougher hits, though his attack required two hands to have enough impact on her, in combination with his shoulder.  Now it seemed the tides had turned.<br/><br/>Ryann like any slave or warrior would always find a means to have an edge, and with her so close to gladius who would waste an opportunity.  Her hand now carried a means to kill him in one attack, in addition she had a taken a defensive stance meaning that she was more than prepared for whatever he did next.  Charging into close range directly was totally out of question, and it looked like she wasn’t planning to move until he did.  The problem at least from Aulus’ perspective was the fact that she had a weapon and he didn’t.  He needed something that wouldn’t kill her but at the same time was able to stand up against an enraged gladiator.  It appeared Antonious would have the answer.  From the balcony worry was written over his entire face, though he had to admit this was a wonderful fight.  A soldier of Rome’s armies versus a berserk female gladiator, something like that would certainly create stories for matches in the arenas across the Republic.  But now was not the time to be engulfed by the intoxication of the fight, returning to the chair he had sat at previously, he recovered the large wrapped parcel that Aulus had ask Antonious to hold onto while they remained at the Ludus.<br/><br/>“Aulus, take this!”<br/><br/>The young soldier’s head turn to see a wrapped object escape the barricade of the balcony falling to his direction.   His right hand reached out to grasp the object which was slightly heavy in weight.  Unwrapping the thread and cloth masking the item, finally the guests and his attacker would reveal just how he fights.  Two cord ends dropped to the sandy floor like snakes slithering out of the cage that was the sheet.  The cords turned out to be whips when the sheet had blown away.  The wind against his skin was a God’s send by Mars perhaps to reward his puppet for deciding to get more serious.  The weapon was of that of a whip or rather 2 whips but they were attached together by what seemed to be a large handle composed of a leather handle for grip and flexibility and metal butts which probably explained how he could connect the two whips.  Now the show would begin.<br/><br/>Aulus took only a couple steps towards Ryann, but only a couple, the most getting out of her was a flinch as if thinking she was prepared for him, but he knew she wouldn’t soon.  With his hands on both handles of the whip his hands create a series of motions that bring the double ended whip to life twirling in a circular motion, sometimes even altering course to create a minor degree of confusion.  But Aulus just needed to wait for the right velocity and position for him to finally, which would not require much time.  One of the whip ends had angled upward like a cobra poised to strike, and strike it did.  The whip’s head had originally pointed at the sky, but with a simple twist of Aulus wrist on the whip’s handle caused the direction of the whip to take a new course towards the sand floor passing by Ryann so close that had she moved a centimeter in the wrong direction she would have had that whip in her face.  An attack perhaps not, but it did seem like quite a warning.  The speed of the whip changing trajectory and striking the floor was almost blinding to the human eye, in addition when it cracked the cloud of dust the whip had kicked up was much larger than normal whips.  This is because if one looked closely they would notice the whip’s tail had been modified.  The tips had been punctured at 5 ends occupied by links like rings, perhaps meant to attach something to the whips tails.  Either way the addition of metal to the whip gave it a fearsome edge compared to other whips.  Now Aulus would get serious as he let the other whip end take a sideways position first before twisting his wrist on that whip’s handle to have strike at Ryann’s thigh hoping to have hooked him a catch.  Of course truth be told he hoped she could avoid this, now that she had waken her up to the reality that he had changed to long-range combat.  During his second strike he pulled back the whip that had first struck so to be ready to counter in case she turned out to be more clever than what he had predicted.<br/>