The Last Gladiator

What makes a gladiator? Brawn? Showmanship? Skill? Heart? For Lucia Rhodanus Fortem, the arena is a ticket to fame, fortune, and belonging. But the long familiar arena is changing, and gladiators are, quite literally, a dying breed. Their replacements - Mechagladiators - piloted constructs made of the best Roman technology, stand ready to take their place on the hard packed dirt of the Coliseum. What humans can stand against the tide of progress? Who dares face down a mechanical beast? How can the power of human connection forge a bond stronger than steel? The last gladiator in Rome faces the toughest challenge of all in this prequel novella for the Steam Empire Chronicles, Daniel Ottalini's Roman Alternate History World.