Chapter 12
They sprinted along the upper gallery as a volley of crossbow bolts whistled through the air, splintering the stone wall inches from where they had been standing a second earlier. Reaching the heavy timber frame of the rigging crane, Julian surveyed the thick hemp ropes and the massive wooden swing-arm that extended out over the roaring crowd below.
"Hold on to the central harness!" Julian commanded, wrapping his left arm securely around Cassian’s waist while his right hand gripped the brake lever of the winch.
With a quick, decisive kick, Julian disengaged the iron safety pawl of the winch. The heavy wooden drum spun wildly out of control for a terrifying second before Julian threw his muscular weight against the leather brake strap, slowing their descent to a controlled, sweeping arc that carried them out over the vast open space of the arena floor.
Thousands of spectators gasped in unison as the two figures dropped gracefully from the high gallery on the rigging rope, swinging like pendulums above the central fire-baskets before landing with a muffled thud in the soft sand of the arena.
Guards swarmed from the Vomitoria tunnels surrounding the arena floor, weapons drawn, converging rapidly on their landing spot. But the crowd had already broken through the low perimeter barriers, surging onto the sand in an uncontrollable wave of righteous indignation to protect the man they now knew had tried to save them.
Julian drew his broadsword once more, standing protectively in front of Cassian as a wall of angry citizens formed a human shield around them, effectively blocking the approaching guards. The citizens held up the scattered scrolls Julian had thrown down moments earlier, chanting slogans against the corrupt magistrates with a unity that terrified the remaining security forces.
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From the imperial box, the chief magistrate screamed futile orders, but his voice was completely drowned out by the thunderous roar of the populace. The guards, realizing they were vastly outnumbered by an enraged citizenry demanding justice, lowered their weapons and hesitated.
Cassian took a slow, labored breath, looking around at the sea of faces surrounding them in the torchlit arena. The truth was finally out in the open, beyond the reach of bribes, secret vaults, and executioners' swords.
