It's no secret that the guards, other gladiators, and the Keeper himself thought of Helio, er Atrox, as a vicious killing machine. The guards were free to do whatever they wanted to Helio. They would make up fake rules just to make his stay here miserable. Of course, they weren't allowed to go very far, unless Helio did something worthy of a punishment. Which he has, but that was when he first arrived. He's probably killed at least over 10 guards, a few fellow gladiators that weren't in the ring. At some point, he killed a viewer. That was his way of sending a message to the Keeper and his guards. The harsh random punishments died down after that, so in a way it worked all in his favor.

In the beginning, Helio could be on his death bed because of a bad injury that got infected and the healer they sent in would do the bare minimum. Now that Helio has proved himself, and the Keeper is sitting on a pile of gold because of him. Means the healer actually does his job. Although, it isn't medical attention say the Keeper would receive, it keeps him alive.

As for other gladiators, they come and go. The ones who've been around for some time, know not to mess with Lio. Cocky new comers see that Helio is treated like a crazed beast, and will poke the sleeping lion. They learn fairly quickly, not to do it ever again.

Helio wasn't dumb. He may be known to these people as a mute, or brainless killer, but that was just how they saw him, because thats all he would show them. The guards are always looking for entertainment within the cell walls of the gladiators. As if they didn't get enough when they were in the arena. The guards are probably hoping to come back to his cell and find the woman ripped apart, limb by limb, or something along those lines. Possibly wanting to hear her screams of terror down the hall. Well, they weren't going to get that from him.

Of course, Lio would prefer not to share his space with anyone, as it wasn't much to begin with anyway. Lio simply watched the woman, a fierce glare playing on his handsome features. He took note of the language she spoke. Interesting. The majority of the men here, were snagged from nearby villages. He wondered where the Keeper snatched her from, and more specifically why. Lio was curious that was for certain. He had become use to the way things happened around here, this was certainly a new sight to see. He took note of the fact that she didn't have shackles on, must be nice.

Helio was probably staring at her for far too long, he didn't care though. What was she going to do about. A part of him knew he looked rather fearsome. The man was tall, the tallest among the current gladiators. Not to forget overly muscular and strong, but that was due to his poor diet and vigorous "exercise" in the ring. Plus he knew how to use his height and strength to his advantage. He wasn't some hulk of a man that simply depended on his size to win. No the man was agile and an all around an amazing fighter. Thats what made him terrifying to others. It simply seemed that he was unbeatable. Winning was easy to Helio.

Besides Helio's great size, the man was covered in scars. Large and small. Scars are rather scary to people. They told an unspoken story about a person. It made people wonder what that person did to receive such ugly scars. Lio still had open wounds that were still healing. His tan tunic was torn in a few places, as well as his trousers. He wouldn't doubt it if he still had dried blood on him from his previous victims. Baths were a luxury, only allowed once in a while. It wasn't even a real bath though, simply given a rag, and a bucket of water.

Helio's eye took in what he could of the woman. It was as if he was reading her. Figuring out all that he could about her, from just looking at her. His expression didn't give anything away either. So one couldn't really tell what he was thinking. He glanced at her hand tugging at her sleeve. She wasn't doing a very good job at hiding the bloody wound. That plus, the dark red blood dripping down her skin. Finally, dragging his fiery gaze away from the petite woman, he shifted slightly. The chains quick to reveal that the man was moving. However, he didn't stand from where he was seated, simply reaching over to a stone on the wall behind him. Pulling the loose stone back revealed a very small brown bottle. It was a rather strong medicine that prevented open wounds from getting infected. Lio stole it from the healer when he came by his cell to treat him.

Without a word to the woman, he rolled the small bottle to her. Putting the stone back into its place, he settled himself in the most comfortable position he could get. He lay his forehead onto his forearms. It was so far the most comfortable he could get, as his forearms held the heavy weight of the shackle around his neck. This wasn't him showing that he cared, but more so an understanding among gladiators that they were all seemingly in the same boat. He closed his eyes, letting his mind wander once again. Except his mind, seemed to wander towards the woman in his cell. He was curious about her, there was no doubt about it, but was he curious enough to find the answers to his undying questions.

Miren was hardly trying to hide the small wound, now. During the meal, she had kept it carefully hidden, any sign of weakness a carefully guarded secret. But since it seemed that she was sharing a cell with this man for the foreseeable future, it didn't make sense to hide her wounds from him, and she needed to see how bad the cut was anyways.

She gritted her teeth ever so slightly as the fabric of her sleeve pulled away from the wound, exposing it to the cold air that stung the raw flesh. It was shallow, and certainly not serious, but it stung deeply. She wished she had some water to clean it with...

Having almost resigned herself to leaving the cut alone, she glanced up when she heard movement from the man, eyes briefly wide and untrusting as the chains shifted, his arms moving slowly to a loose stone leaned against the wall. A small vial of medicine was revealed, almost certainly stolen, and the gladiator rolled it towards her without a word. The glass bottle bumped lightly against her bare foot, and after a moment of hesitation, she picked it up, studying the bottle for a second as she glanced towards the other occupant of the cell with an unspoken question in her silver gaze.

It must be for her wound, she eventually decided. Perhaps it would ease the stinging. Or perhaps it would prevent infection, which she supposed would be the most dangerous possibility in these filthy cells. Removing the stopper from the bottle, she applied a few drops of the precious liquid to her wound, ripping a bit of fabric from the hem of her already tattered dress to bind the cut. It was clear, from the practiced ease with which she tended to the wound, that she had some experience in that area.

She had tended to most of her own wounds, during her training as a girl. It was something that all of the young women in her tribe did. The most honorable death, apart from perhaps childbirth, was on the battlefield alongside the menfolk. It was something she had yet to fully understand about Roman culture, though she had only been a slave to them for a few months, and she had only been among the gladiators for a day. Their women did not fight. Half of all the Romans just... didn't fight. Surely it had to cripple their armies, and yet the Roman army was terrifying in itself, even if it was only men.

Strange.

Her attention returned to the man in front of her, as she replaced the lid of the bottle and rolled it carefully back to him. When she spoke, her words were lightly accented, but she spoke in the common language. "Thank you," she said softly, leaning back against the cold stone wall. She ran her fingers absently over the smooth rock, gaze distant as she stifled a yawn. It had been a long day; the fight earlier had drained her, but she couldn't fully relax, the possibility of another fight weighing too heavily on her mind.

If nothing else, perhaps she could try to make conversation with this man... She wondered if the stones in the cell walls would make better company. Still, it was worth a shot.

"My name is Miren," she offered softly, pairing a smile with her words that didn't quite reach her frightened eyes.

At the sound of the glass vial rolling back to him, Lio lifted his head slightly. Amber eyes focused on the bottle that was now at his own bare feet. Reaching over he picked it up and began spinning it in his hand for a moment. Listening the liquid splash around. His gaze fixated on it for a moment. Once more pulling the loose stone from the wall he placed the vial back. Replacing the stone, so it didn't look out of place. The medicine would likely last him a few more wounds depending on the size and severity. Any size wound one attained here, ran the risk of infection. Seeing as their cells were far from clean. Infections have almost killed Lio numerous times. If the medic wasn't going to care for him, then he'd take things into his own hands.

It wasn't the first vial Lio had stole, and certainly wouldn't be the last. In a way, it could be seen as cheating. One of the many reasons why he's lasted here for so long. His talent and skill being the main reason, as to why he hasn't meant his demise. Many gladiators have been sent out into the arena in horrible conditions. Dying from an infection wrecking havoc in their body, but yet they are still forced to fight two battles. Of course, they didn't make it. Another cruel thing the Keeper has done. Maybe it was his way of getting rid of the weak links. Lio still remembers when they did it to him. They truly thought that was the end of the famous Atrox. That was on his 6th month. He's made a full recovery since then.

Lately, Lio has noticed the increase in fights they'd made him do. Before, they had him fight at least once a week. That was normal for all gladiators. You had six days to recover, then you were back in the ring. Wondering if it would be your last. Now, Lio fights three to four times a week. Sometimes back to back. It's starting to take a toll on his body. He was used to having six days to recover from any injuries one might have sustained, now he only has mere hours, before he received new wounds. What he's tried to do is prevent new injuries, as it could be what saves him. That is if this new schedule is only temporarily.

Helio gazed at her for a moment. There was that accent again. It annoyed him that he couldn't quite pin point it. It certainly wasn't a common one. For being a slave almost his whole life, he has seen a lot of the world. He's been bounced around for years, having even been sent over the ocean. Some slaves don't seem to ever leave their owner once purchased. Some even dying with the same owner they'd had their whole life. Not Lio. He can't even remember all his "owners." It was most likely in the double digits.

Helio didn't bother responding to her. At least she had manners. Lio eyed her for a moment. Miren. A name to the face. His eyes going towards her lips, where she held a weak smile. If one could even call that a smile. Dragging his gaze away, he focused on the stone floor. He titled his head slightly, as he felt the shackle around his neck settle against his skin rather uncomfortably. His large hands reaching up to change the position of it, so it wouldn't rub the sensitive skin raw. Once he'd fixed it, he looked back up at her. "Not for long." His voice was deep, but it didn't hold that richness it use to. This time it was rather raspy. Due to lack of use. It was a rather ominous thing to say, but it was true. No one went by their past names. The guards called you by your arena name. One only got an arena name if they made an impact on the crowd. Either that be bad or good. Lio's being Atrox. However, at times the guards called him beast, savage, monster. Anything their small brains could think of, to try and belittle him.

"The Arena will decide your new name..." He paused for a moment. "That is if you survive your first fight. Miren." This wasn't him being an asshole, but simply telling the truth. More of a senior gladiator to a fresh faced gladiator. He rested his head up against the hard stone wall. He let his eyes close, his adams apple bouncing up and down for a moment. It felt rather unusual to be speaking for the first time since he arrived. He never even uttered a word to other gladiators, not even a curse word. He simply didn't want to put any effort into it. That and he had nothing to say to these people. Lio couldn't hold his curiosity back any more. "Where are you from." It was a question, although he didn't make it sound like one. In Lio's past life, he'd always had interest in other empires, cities, or villages. He'd seen a lot of different cultures, people and languages. He's seen so many he could probably claim to have seen all of them. Apparently, not all though, seeing as he couldn't figure out where Miren was from.

She hadn't expected a response from him. After all, he'd seemed rather determined to stay dead silent, whether it was to the guards or the other gladiators. His words, voice hoarse from lack of use, hung ominously in the air before he elaborated, though her own expression hardly changed, save for her brows slightly furrowing in confusion.

Clearly, he didn't know that she'd already fought. The bruises on her body that ached as she tried to settle, the cut on her arm, the exhaustion deep in her bones... All undeniable signs that she had fought for her life today, thrown unarmed into the arena to die and yet walked away relatively unscathed.

"I have already fought," she said with a slight nod. "This morning, I was in the arena. The Keeper wished to be rid of me." One hand moved absently to rub over the clumsy bandages she'd made for her arm. "I was not armed, but the other was." The fight replayed in her mind as she closed her eyes, not too different from the training fights she had been through as a teenager, but different enough to leave the images burned into her mind. She was sure she'd get used to it... eventually.

He did not offer his name, though he spoke of an arena name. She wondered, halfheartedly, what he meant by that, though she didn't quite care enough to ask before he spoke again, a question disguised as a statement.

"It's... Very far from here," she responded, her smile gaining a slightly melancholy look. "Across the sea... The mountains. Well over a month's journey. The Romans call it Asrain. But my people call it Asmina." She hadn't seen her home in years now.

Her village had been destroyed by the Romans upon her capture, she remembered it all far too clearly. They saw themselves as conquerers, but they were only murderers.

"And you? Where are you from?"

Everyone that arrived here, usually came pretty battered. Thats on not even having finished their first fight. It was simply the harsh treatment given to them by the guards. Lio simply assumed she was bruised and cut up already because the guards couldn't hold back. Or maybe she fought them. Of course, it was shocking to hear she'd already fought...and survived. That and looking the way she did. Her injuries could have been a lot worse. Hell, Lio had seen other fighters thrown into the ring with the upper hand. With a sword and shield, yet coming back barely hanging on. The odds were clearly not in her favor, yet she looks the way she does. Yet, Lio's expression remained the same. A stony scowl on his handsome features. It made since that the Keeper was trying to get rid of her, but he would have thought she could have time to settle into her new environment before throwing her in the ring. Then again this was the Keeper they were talking about.

Helio wasn't fully doubting her abilities, but a part of him couldn't believe her. Maybe until he saw it for himself, then he full well believe. He couldn't get past the fact that this tiny, petite woman managed to kill a gladiator that was armed. Every gladiator in here hand to be at least taller than her, not to forget much stronger as well. It didn't make sense. "Beginnger's luck." It was meant to be a joke, but it came out more as a threat. The lack of socializing with others, was taking a toll on his socializing skills. He was impressed, but he wasn't going to tell her that. If anything he gave her another two fights before she would be killed in the ring.

Helio's amber eyes glanced down at her ghost of a smile. She seemed to do quite a bit of that. Smiling. Who knew if it was genuine though. Soon enough the cells and guards would break her spirit. It was a dark thing to think, but it was the truth. Or at least bound to be true. A months journey. Huh. Maybe he hasn't seen every inch of the earth. Asmina didn't ring a bell. That only made him curious about it. Like what kinds of people lived there. What kinds of things did they practice? The questions swirled, but he didn't let a single one slip. So the Romans were getting ambition. Traveling that far to capture a different breed of slaves. They truly were ruthless. He gave a slight nod, or as best as he could with the neck shackle. "Asmina." He muttered, testing the name on his tongue.

As she questioned him, his mind went back to his home. It'd been years since he'd last been there. Funny, how even when he has escaped his owners a few times, he never thought to visit his home. It was rather far away as well, but known. Well known for having the best warriors, as well as being beast masters. He didn't know if his home still stood, or was burned to the ground by the Romans. Yes, they had extraordinary warriors, but that didn't beat the numbers the romans had. After a moment, Lio spoke up. "Yhans." An accent slipping through as he said the name of his home. He was quick to cut off any questions she may have about his home, or him in general. "Long way for the Romans to travel, just to toss you in the Ring...and survive." It was more so Lio, thinking out loud. Trying to figure out the point of capturing Miren. What were their intentions?

Having already been awake for a few hours now, Lio stared out the small opening that lead outside. There wasn't much to look at, other than the small amount of light that seeped through and the sky. The familiar sound of pounding on the cell door, dragged him out of his daze. Lio never really slept all that much. Hard stone wasn't exactly ideal for sleeping comfortably. He shifted slightly, but made no move to get up. The guards poured into the small cell, the majority of the guards circling him, while one went to his cellmate, Miren.

Frankly, Lio was rather confused. If he was following the normal routine of the guards, this was rather out of the ordinary. It was a day too early for his fight, so why were they fetching him from his cell. As well as his cellmate. He didn't let the confusion show on his features, only keeping a deep scowl there instead. His jaw clenched. Were they going to make him fight her? That wasn't exactly a fair fight. Even if she had a full suit of armor and a weapon, Lio would still win. The Keeper knew that. Why him? This wasn't a challenge in the slightest, this was simply cruel. Then again this was the Keeper. The man was ruthless. Hungry for blood.

Lio being numb and not giving it a second thought, stood up to his towering height. Sneaking a glance over to his cellmate, he watched as she spat in one of the guards faces. It was rather amusing watching the guard struggle with this petite woman. Having to threaten her to get her to calm down. Lio didn't give the three guards surrounding him a hard time, at least not this time around. His shackles once more dragging, as he followed the guards, taking the familiar walk way to the barred door. The gate that separated them from the arena. His eyes scanning the sandy ground. Seeing blood trailed on the yellow ground.

Hearing the shuffles of others feet, he glanced over his broad shoulder. Seeing a few other guards, with more gladiators with them. At least three. He glanced down at his bicep as a guard tied a red cloth on his arm. Lio figured it out rather quickly. This was a group fight. Depending on what type of fighter you were, or simply what the Keeper decided you fought in different ways. Some fought against wild animals, others 1 to 5. Lio was one of those gladiators. His fights only got more challenging the longer he was here. However, this was Lio's first group fight. Normally, they put him up against five. Once the rest of their group was settled, he glanced over once more.

Having been here for so long, he quickly learned much about others fighting styles and their habits in the Ring. He recognized the three men quickly, having already calculated how long each of them have been here for and the level of skill. This would be interesting. He glanced over at Miren. She was still a mystery, but he'd find out soon enough. Lio hadn't bothered looking at the weapons on the ground. He knew they were there, but didn't prepare how the others did. He could feel the tension in the air, as he stood among the others. Lio was calm and collected. Not an ounce of fear in the man's eyes. Out of his peripheral, he could sense the anxiousness from his fellow gladiators. He watched as his cellmate shifted her weight, it was a slight movement, but he caught it. As well as the older man opening and closing his fist. Lio simply stood tall, and unwavering. The confidence rolling off of him. He'd done this time and time again. This was nothing to him.

Just like that the horns went off, announcing the start of the fight. The gates lifted and his teammates raced off into the arena. Lio took his time, once he was out all the weapons had been snatched up. Letting one large hand go up to massage his sore neck, for a moment. He looked relaxed, almost at home. While others would feel uneasy at the situation at hand. He could hear echos of his name being chanted, simply because he was present. Atrox.

Ignoring the cheering crowds from above, he scanned his opponents, but his gaze quickly landed on someone else. His brows pulled together, deepening his frown. Being in the back, he got a clear view of everyone. Allies and foe. He watched as his cellmate was shoved away from a weapon, but that wasn't what had his attention. She was sprinting towards the enemy team, no weapon in hand. Did she have a death wish? No trained fighter would pull a move like that. Even if it was a tactic for distraction. It looked like a plan that would quickly fall apart, but thats where Lio was mistaken. He watched her skillfully dodge the others swings, before she made her pounce. Hell, she'd done it. Successfully unarmed a man and made the first kill of the battle. Lio didn't show it on his facial expression, but he was impressed. Maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to assume she was weak due to her size. She clearly had some training under her belt.

Just before he could drag his gaze away, he felt a stabbing pain to his right thigh. Swinging around to face his opponent, he found a smaller stature man looking quite fearful. Axe held high in their clammy hands. Lio's amber eyes flamed. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he moved quickly. Just before the man could swing his axe down on Lio again, Lio caught their arm. His other large hand going for their neck. Kicking the mans legs out from under him, he quickly stepped on their wrist holding the axe. Ripping the axe out of their grasp, he straightened up seconds from swinging the axe back down on their neck. A sharp scream broke through the air, pulled his attention away.

The older gentlemen on his team was being struck down, just before the man could take the final swing, Lio threw the axe with much force. The axe spun in the air, before landing directly between the the eyes and forehead of the other. The man dropped to his knees, collapsing on the sandy ground. A dark red liquid seeping out of the gaping wound, the axe still wedged. Three to go. Lio spotted the largest man out of the opposing group, as well as the red haired man and solider circling him. Lio began stalking over as well, but paused for a moment as he heard the crowd chanting. Vidua.

Still weaponless, Helios felt nothing. Not fear, not anxiety. Growing increasing bored of how long the fight was lasting. If it were just him, he would make quick work of the fight itself. Something he was know for. He wouldn't be surprised if the audience timed him, as part of their entertainment. Although, it was partly his fault the fight was lasting so long, as he wasn't putting much effort in helping his fellow teammates. Thing was, he was exhausted. He didn't get as much time as the others to recover and rest. Though, that didn't mean he was giving up.

Helios intense gaze kept flickering to Miren, or Vidua. As the crowd had already named her. He knew not all his teammates were going to walk out of this fight alive. This fight was much more intense, as there was new challenges most here hadn't dealt with yet. This was practically nothing to Helios, that was why his demeanor seemed so relaxed. Compared to the others scrambling around the arena. Helios remained in the back, while the other teammates dealt with the large opponent. His jaw clenched tightly, as he watched Vidua crash to the sandy ground. His long legs wanting to race to her aid, until he watched her quick instincts quick in.

Helios could watch her fight for hours, not in the way the Romans liked though. It was simply entertaining because her fighting style was so foreign and unique. He'd watched many different types of men's fighting styles, but has never seen anything like hers. It was simply impressive and quite frankly incredible. Watching a petite woman, that looked to weigh no more than 90 lbs, take down men triple her size. Hell, she could be more of a competition to him, than half the men here. Although, it wasn't his desire to fight her. That would be a waste of a warrior like her. She was a smart fighter, not like most the men here. Only using their size to beat others. As well as using the same fighting techniques over and over. It was a bore to Helios. He could see their next three moves before they even played out. Where was the fun in that?

Being distracted by Miren, Helios almost got a blow to the shoulder. Finally dragged his gaze away from his cellmate, he looked over to the beast of a man charging at him. Helio simply dodged him effortlessly. The man turned around growling like a wild animal, before swing his axe into the soldiers head. Luckily, it was the blunt end, so the man would survive. He eyed the redhead that dragged the soldier away. Tired of fighting already? This felt much more comfortable now, one against one. He could feel himself finally going into his zone. The ruthless, merciless, coldhearted killer he was known for. Atrox. From the outside, one could see the switch in his demeanor just like that. He was no longer relaxed and laid back. In his place was Atrox. He could no longer hear the crowd, just his steady heartbeat in his ears.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a shield on the sandy ground. Picking it up he flipped it for a moment, before letting it settle in his left hand comfortably. He could have used his dominate right hand, as it wasn't like he had a weapon, but what better than to give a good show. The man wasn't much taller than Helios, but was definitely much bulkier than him. A beast of a man, but no real skill there. Lios could see right through those fierce brown eyes. The man was afraid. Without missing a beat, Lio began meeting every hit with his shield. The metal clashing against metal with such force, echoing around the arena. Lio could meet the man's every hit with such force, at times making the man stumble back. The muscles in his back and biceps rippled with every hit. Lio's expression unreadable as usual, except his amber eyes were set a blaze. There were many times where Helio could have ended this, but decided to play cat and mouse. Except he wasn't the mouse, nor a cat, but rather a lion.

Helio had the man distracted, even Lio was only focused on the man in front of him. His brows pulled together in a scowl, as the man groaned in pain and forcibly kneeled in front of him. Almost in that exact moment, the axe the man was fighting with was jammed into Lio's shield. The metal finally giving in under the heavy blows it took moments before. His gaze landed on his cellmate that was currently scurrying away. Stepping of the shield he tore the large axe out of it. Letting the heavy weapon hang loosely in his right hand. Kicking the man down on his back, he kept his foot on his chest. The man struggled, fear clear in his eyes. He knew this was the end. Swinging down, Helios ended the fight.

The crowd breaking out into a loud roar. Chanting Vidua and Atrox together. Lio wasn't one to celebrate, like most gladiators that stood their cheering as well. Taking in all the glory. Lio's feet already walking towards the barred gate. He didn't wait for the guards to come in and collect them. He tossed the axe to the side, as he stalked toward the gate. It rolled open, his wrists and ankles being shackled instantly. Waiting to return to his cell.