This time the thrust was in earnest and the point shot forward like a ram. Macro slashed down, just above the man’s hand, and the point went down towards the floor. Macro’s dagger hand darted forward and stabbed into the renegade’s forearm. With a gasp, he released the shaft and Macro stamped down on it, forcing the man off balance. He stumbled forward, inside the doorway, as he strove to regain his balance. One of the legionaries stepped up and punched his sword high into the man’s back, driving him to one side. He fell on to his knees and slumped down with a groan as the legionary ripped his blade free.

‘First blood to us, boys!’ Macro cried out, then beckoned to the faces watching him from outside. ‘Come on! Who’s next?’

There was only the briefest hesitation before a burly swordsman swallowed nervously and made to approach the door. Before he could reach it, a voice called out.

‘Stand aside! Let me through!’

Macro felt a cold shiver ripple down his spine as he recognised the voice at once. The men in front of him drew aside, creating a small open space before the door. Into it stepped a tall, powerful man in his early twenties, dark hair falling to his shoulders. He carried a short sword in one hand and a small round shield in the other. His body was protected by a black leather cuirass, decorated with silver whorls. His lips twisted into a cold smile.

‘Centurion Macro. Well, what a surprise. I should have guessed you would try to find me.’

‘And now that I have, I’m going to kill you,’ Macro replied through gritted teeth.

‘Really?’ Ajax stepped closer, his eyes fixed on Macro. ‘Then why not come out here? Let’s settle this, man to man.’

Macro felt a burning compulsion to confront the gladiator. The urge coursed through his veins and threatened to cloud his judgement. He clamped his jaw shut and stared back at the man who had tormented him so cruelly barely three months before.

‘What’s the matter?’ Ajax smirked. ‘Are you not man enough to face me?’

Macro took half a step forward, almost to the threshold of the tower’s entrance, and checked himself.

‘Tell you what, Ajax,’ he spoke in a flat tone. ‘Why don’t you come in here to settle things.’

Ajax chuckled coldly. ‘A stand-off between us, then. A shame, since I would have liked the chance to humiliate you in front of your men.’ Ajax lowered his sword. ‘It seems that we’ll have to do this the hard way.’ He stepped back and turned to his men. ‘Shields to the front!’

A half-dozen renegades stepped up. Three stood together and overlapped their shields. The others stepped up to guard the flanks and then Ajax beckoned to some more of his men and they approached the door.