Chapter 552 - Caesar's threat and Spartacus's despair!

The semi-final had drawn to a close under a sky the color of old bronze. The roar of the crowd had thinned to an exhausted murmur, torches guttering along the outer ring as the arena emptied. Both contests had been brief and brutal in the same breath — Septimius and Spartacus had met their opponents and, with the ruthless efficiency of men who had practiced the art of killing until it felt like breathing, taken their victories without breaking much of a sweat. Their blades had sung and the challengers had fallen; by dusk the two finalists for tomorrow's clash had been decided.